The Emperor's New Clothes 2002

Napoleon finds himself in exile on the remote island of St. Helena after the defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. Intent on reclaiming his power, his loyal followers devise an audacious plan to smuggle in a look-alike to take his place. The plan is for the imposter to masquerade as Napoleon, allowing the real Emperor to secretly escape to Paris where he can announce his return. The intent is that once the imposter declares himself, the genuine Napoleon can emerge to the cheers of the French, who are eager for their leader’s resurgence.

However, the situation becomes complicated when the imposter, reveling in the lavish lifestyle and privileges of being an emperor, becomes increasingly enamored with his newfound identity. He stubbornly refuses to disclose the truth, even when a fellow general—who is also in exile—attempts to expose him. Instead, the imposter discredits the general, claiming he has succumbed to madness due to the isolation of St. Helena.

Back in France, the real Napoleon faces a dilemma; his citizens are unaware of his true situation, believing him to be a prisoner of war. Surprisingly, most Parisians have never seen Napoleon in person, and his appearance now reflects the passage of time—he appears older and more disheveled. To add to the absurdity, it turns out that a multitude of individuals in a Paris insane asylum have taken it upon themselves to dress as Napoleon, all claiming to be the true Emperor.

As the narrative unfolds, Napoleon finds himself trapped by circumstance. Tragedy strikes when the imposter dies on St. Helena, leading to the announcement of Napoleon’s death to the world. With this, the last chance for the real Napoleon to reclaim his identity and his place in history fades away. Nonetheless, during his time in exile, he has formed a meaningful relationship with the widow of one of his soldiers from the Grand Army. Although she views his claims of being Napoleon as mere delusions of grandeur, she lovingly assures him he can still be “her Napoleon.”

This film boldly explores profound questions of identity and self-perception, suggesting that our understanding of who we are is, at least in part, shaped by the perceptions and beliefs of those around us.