Napoleon

Ah!

Ah!

It's us, Sire!

And it's you! You're here at last.

Ah, gentlemen.

The King of Rome's first charge,

and as you see, he's chosen to attack the heights

like I did in Austerlitz.

- Alas, Sire, Austerlitz is far away.

The defeat of our armies--

Not a defeat. A retreat.

Certainly, Sire.

But thousands of our men are still in Russia.

Without you there, what can they do?

- I came back because the affairs of France demanded it,

but I have Murat at the head of our troops and I know him.

He will save all that can be saved.

The men he brings home will stay home forever.

As it is nearly Christmas,

I have decided to give a present to all the French people,

and most of all to you, my dearest.

The wars are over.

I declare peace to the world.

Bravo, Sire! Bravo!

Company!

Present arms!

This way, please.

The fact that the people of Paris

adore their beloved Empress more each day

is a great joy for us all.

- That's not what she says in her letters.

- No? Oh, her natural discretion, I expect.

Your Excellency would agree that it's tactless

for a woman to acknowledge that she is irresistible.

- Humility is hardly a prominent virtue

in a Princess of the House of Austria.

Wouldn't you agree?

- Let us not forget that the Empress Marie-Louise

has become completely French,

like most of Europe.

- Only France is French, Monsieur de Caulaincourt.

The other countries are French by force.

So it's temporary.

Come now, Metternich!

No need for rituals.

The Austrian ambassador is at home here.

But first of all, tell me how dear old Francois is.

- His Majesty the Emperor of Austria is very well.

And you, Sire?

- I couldn't be better, ever since I declared

peace to the world.

An admirable phrase, Sire.

- I'm glad you like it. It's not just a phrase.

In that case, Sire,

you are bound to accept the conditions

that Emperor Francois has asked me to relay to you.

- Conditions? - Yes.

What we expect in exchange for this peace

that France has asked for.

- Perhaps I have been unclear, Metternich.

I'm not asking for peace, I'm making it.

In fact, I'm imposing it.

- I'm afraid France is in no position to impose

anything at all, Sire.

Everyone is aware that you have lost

most of your troops in Russia.

- You dare order me to give up my conquest?

And to restore the old boundaries?

So hundreds of thousands of Frenchmen

will have suffered and died for nothing?

You're insane. Your Emperor is insane!

- Your Majesty is free to do as he pleases, of course.

Oh, thank you so much.

- But if France refuses to subscribe

to the conditions we propose...

Austria unfortunately will be obliged

to declare war on France.

- Austria declare war on me? On me?

It can't be.

Have you forgotten whom l've married?

Come over here, Let me show you something.

It only took me three months to build up the Grand Army again.

This is one of my new regiments.

Your new toy soldiers, you mean.

They are children, Sire.

You're wrong to disparage them.

They are called the Marie-Louise, named after my wife.

Because of her, my son has Austrian blood in his veins,

so if your Emperor declares me war,

he will be rising up against his own daughter and grandson.

- Rest assured that Emperor Francois has not forgotten

that he gave you his daughter as Empress of France.

But he can and will act solely in the interests of his people.

- It's not in Austria's interests to attack France.

Prussia, Russia and England are using you, and that's a fact.

I married Marie-Louise for peace,

and obviously l've been betrayed. It is not surprising.

French people have thought all along

that they were getting another Marie Antoinette.

- I was told they had come to love her.

You were misinformed.

Nobody loves her. No one except me.

Take this answer back to your master:

of Austria dares to declare war on me,

I will reduce Vienna to rubble.

I swear it.

Then you are lost, Sire.

You are lost.

Fire!

Company, pull back!

So you're deserting!

- Sire, I know you do not mean that.

Marshall Murat was informing Your Majesty

that he's going to his kingdom of Naples for reinforcements!

- His kingdom? I made you king.

of I fall, you fall.

And I don't believe a word about your damned reinforcements!

You have negotiated your departure with the Austrians.

What are you implying?

- I'm not implying, I'm saying it to your face.

Murat, there is only one way,

just one, for you to convince me of your loyalty.

Come back from Naples with troops

who are ready to give their lives for me.

Sire,

I do have to take my leave.

This wound of mine--

Your wound?

Yesterday, you said it was a mere scratch.

I won't hold you back!

Well, gentlemen!

Any more candidates for desertion?

No one is indispensable to me, you know!

Sire, Sire. We love you.

Those who must go leave with broken hearts.

For those who stay, we only ask you

for one thing: the truth.

We have lost the war, haven't we?

- Lost the war? Because the enemy has a few more troops?

I have my reserves, easily enough for a counter-attack.

What was that? General! What did you say?

- He was saying, Sire, a counter-attack is impossible.

We can barely hold on to our positions as it is.

Perhaps an orderly retreat, to defend France--

France?

Fight on our own soil?

France must be defended, Sire.

She is in mortal danger.

Go away!

I have nothing to give you.

I've got nothing left but my hens!

And if you take them--

You can keep your hens.

We need horses, two or three will do.

- You've got horses! They're right under your asses!

We need farm horses

to pull our cannons out of the mud.

And if you have any sons to lend us a hand...

I had two sons.

But that monster Napoleon got them both killed!

I will make him suffer for it,

if I have to follow him to hell!

Sire! We're wasting time.

Sire?

He called you Sire?

You're...

The monster.

No! Leave her.

What were your sons called?

The oldest was Gervais.

The little one, Clement.

He wasn't even 16.

Gervais and Clement.

We cannot let them die for nothing.

- They died for you. But you're nothing!

You're less than that pile of dung!

You have a right to refuse.

But if you lend us your horses,

to pull out our cannons of the mud,

their shells will avenge your boys.

What's the use?

The enemy is all over France.

Everyone says we're finished.

No, no.

We're never finished. Never!

All France is fighting against the enemy.

Your sons gave their life so this country might survive.

I'm giving my life for it.

And you cannot give up a horse?

- One of you come to the stables with me.

Madame, it's Joseph!

The Emperor's brother!

Open the door, please!

- You've had news of His Majesty?

Yes. Well, no.

It's all terribly confusing.

But you must leave Paris right away.

What?

- The enemy is at the gates of the city.