Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for Napoleon

Napoleon

Seen it?

2000 | 216 min | History, Documentary

Saturday Specialearly rating

Why it’s a Saturday Special

It drew serious awards attention and it's still drawing plenty of interest, despite a box office flop. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for the curious and history buffs.
The mood
Eye-opening.
The pace
Unhurried and epic, at 3 hr 36 min.
What might put you off
It's long: 3 hr 36 min.

In David Grubin's NAPOLEON watch Napoleon's rise from obscurity to victories that made him a hero to the French people and convinced him he was destined for greatness. Learn of his love for Josephine Beauharnais, and his rise to Emperor. Witness his extraordinary achievements and ultimately his fall, his final battles, his exile to Elba, and his defeat at Waterloo. For nearly two decades he strode the world stage like a colossus -- loved and despised, venerated and feared. From his birth on the rugged island of Corsica to his final exile on the godforsaken island of St. Helena, NAPOLEON brings this extraordinary figure to life.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    58% on Rotten Tomatoes, 64 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.6 out of 10 from opening-week audiences

  • AwardsStrong

    Nominated for 3 Oscars, 4 BAFTAs and 1 Critics' Choice Award.

  • Reach & staying powerWeak

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; interest faded quickly after launch

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 571K people sought it out in the past year

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by David Grubin

  • David McCulloughNarrator