Emperor's New Clothes
"Whimsical" is not an adjective that springs to mind in association with Napoleon Bonaparte, but it aptly describes this fanciful tale conjuring what might have happened if the legendary emperor had not spent his last days in exile on St. Helena but rather escaped to Paris.
A lighthearted adaptation of the novel "The Death of Napoleon" by historian Simon Leys, "The Emperor's New Clothes" lacks the vivacity to give it more than rarefied appeal, but it does have its witty moments and boasts a superb performance by Ian Holm as the height-challenged ruler who becomes an unlikely romantic figure.
The film's conceit is that Napoleon, tired of his life on the island and eager to reclaim his throne, manages to come up with a plot in which he will trade identities with a look-alike who will assume his role on St. Helena while he escapes. The plan succeeds, with a drunken sailor taking his place. Napoleon, after several detours, including one to Waterloo, makes his way to Paris, where, after discovering that his contact has died unexpectedly, he is rudely awakened with the realities of life as a penniless commoner.
The contact's widow, Pumpkin (Iben Hjejle), a beautiful fruit merchant, reluctantly offers to take the stranger in after he falls and injures himself. Soon the pair are romantically involved, with Napoleon utilizing his military prowess to reorganize and make profitable Pumpkin's failing business. Unfortunately, his plans to assume his rightful identity become derailed by the fact that his double has come to enjoy his new role far too much to relinquish it.
While the central idea is a clever one, the script unfortunately lacks the sparkle necessary to make the conceit come alive, and there's an aimless, plodding quality to the proceedings, which unsuccessfully attempt to blend historical melodrama and romantic comedy. Only in isolated moments does the story live up to its potential, as in the haunting scene where Napoleon visits an insane asylum filled with lunatics also claiming to be the former emperor. Also moving is the episode in which he reveals his true identity to his lover, who refuses to believe him while revealing her contempt for everything Napoleon stands for.
Holm, playing both Napoleon and his boorish body double, invests his performance with his usual sharp intelligence and awareness, mining every emotional and comic aspect of his roles. His imperious Napoleon, while obviously a man used to having his own way, becomes a highly sympathetic figure as he attempts to cope with his new, lowly station in life and also becomes helplessly smitten. Hjejle, who previously appeared in "High Fidelity", is also impressive as the determined widow.
THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES
Paramount Classics
A Redwave production presented by FilmFour and Redwave in association with Mikado Films and Senator Film
Credits:
Director: Alan Taylor
Screenwriters: Kevin Molony, Alan Taylor, Herbie Wave
Producer: Uberto Pasolini
Executive producers: Paul Webster, Hanno Huth, Roberto Cicutto
Director of photography: Alessio Gelsini Torresi
Editor: Masahiro Hirakubo
Music: Rachel Portman
Production designer: Andrea Chrisanti
Cast:
Napoleon/Eugene: Ian Holm
Pumpkin: Iben Hjejle
Dr. Lambert: Tim McInnerney
Gerard: Tom Watson
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA rating PG...
A lighthearted adaptation of the novel "The Death of Napoleon" by historian Simon Leys, "The Emperor's New Clothes" lacks the vivacity to give it more than rarefied appeal, but it does have its witty moments and boasts a superb performance by Ian Holm as the height-challenged ruler who becomes an unlikely romantic figure.
The film's conceit is that Napoleon, tired of his life on the island and eager to reclaim his throne, manages to come up with a plot in which he will trade identities with a look-alike who will assume his role on St. Helena while he escapes. The plan succeeds, with a drunken sailor taking his place. Napoleon, after several detours, including one to Waterloo, makes his way to Paris, where, after discovering that his contact has died unexpectedly, he is rudely awakened with the realities of life as a penniless commoner.
The contact's widow, Pumpkin (Iben Hjejle), a beautiful fruit merchant, reluctantly offers to take the stranger in after he falls and injures himself. Soon the pair are romantically involved, with Napoleon utilizing his military prowess to reorganize and make profitable Pumpkin's failing business. Unfortunately, his plans to assume his rightful identity become derailed by the fact that his double has come to enjoy his new role far too much to relinquish it.
While the central idea is a clever one, the script unfortunately lacks the sparkle necessary to make the conceit come alive, and there's an aimless, plodding quality to the proceedings, which unsuccessfully attempt to blend historical melodrama and romantic comedy. Only in isolated moments does the story live up to its potential, as in the haunting scene where Napoleon visits an insane asylum filled with lunatics also claiming to be the former emperor. Also moving is the episode in which he reveals his true identity to his lover, who refuses to believe him while revealing her contempt for everything Napoleon stands for.
Holm, playing both Napoleon and his boorish body double, invests his performance with his usual sharp intelligence and awareness, mining every emotional and comic aspect of his roles. His imperious Napoleon, while obviously a man used to having his own way, becomes a highly sympathetic figure as he attempts to cope with his new, lowly station in life and also becomes helplessly smitten. Hjejle, who previously appeared in "High Fidelity", is also impressive as the determined widow.
THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES
Paramount Classics
A Redwave production presented by FilmFour and Redwave in association with Mikado Films and Senator Film
Credits:
Director: Alan Taylor
Screenwriters: Kevin Molony, Alan Taylor, Herbie Wave
Producer: Uberto Pasolini
Executive producers: Paul Webster, Hanno Huth, Roberto Cicutto
Director of photography: Alessio Gelsini Torresi
Editor: Masahiro Hirakubo
Music: Rachel Portman
Production designer: Andrea Chrisanti
Cast:
Napoleon/Eugene: Ian Holm
Pumpkin: Iben Hjejle
Dr. Lambert: Tim McInnerney
Gerard: Tom Watson
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA rating PG...
- 6/24/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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