Christian Clavier stars as Napoleon Bonaparte in this four-part tale of how a meagre soldier rose to become the Emperor of France and one of the most powerful men in the world. With John Malcovich, Gérard Depardieu and Isabella Rossellini As Napoleon languishes on Saint Helena after his defeat by the British, he narrates his life story to a young girl, from his humble Corsican origins, training at a French military college and his initial involvement in the French Revolutionary Wars, to his rise to command the revolutionary armies and his seizure of power in 1804. Crowned as Emperor, Napoleon emulates the classical Roman style of conquest and government, sweeping aside European allies at Austerlitz and establishing his own relatives as kings in his conquered territories. After invading Russia, Napoleon is exiled to the island of Elba after Paris is taken in 1814. After a year, however, he escapes and rallies new armies, only to be defeated by the British at Waterloo.