In Search of Josephine

In Search of Josephine (DVD) (*)

~~$44.99~~ $38.97

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital Stereo )
French ( Dolby Digital Stereo )

Product Origin/Format:
France ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
104 min + 18 min extras

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Booklet

Movie filmed in 2012 and produced in:
France ( France, Benelux )

Directed By:
Eric Ellena

Written By:
Eric Ellena

Actors:
Bernard Chevallier
Françoise Wagener
Andrea Stuart
Sandra Gulland
Amaury Lefebure
Paolo Foramitti
Jérôme Zieseniss

Synopsis:

Would Napoleon have ever become Emperor without his Josephine? This two-part documentary series revisits the life of an incredibly modern woman from her childhood spent in the island of Martinique, to her coronation as Empress at age 41, and finally to her death - from a simple cold - ten years later in her palace, Malmaison. We find ourselves retracing her steps in France and Italy and discover a character much more complex and interesting than what has been written about her by previous historians. With the help of historical reenactments, paintings and illustrations, this revealing documentary reconstructs the important moments of her extraordinary life. Having survived a devastating hurricane, a death sentence, firing cannons, a bombing and even a balcony fall, Josephine continues to fascinate millions of people worldwide, not only because she was wife to one of the most well-known characters in history, but also because the life she led - full of drama and grandeur - was greater than any role ever imagined in fiction.

In France, Canada, Italy and the Caribbean, there is a historical icon that novelists, historians and curators all share a common passion for - a woman who died in 1814 only to become the central topic of numerous texts and literature worldwide. She is Josephine de Beauharnais, born Rose Tascher de la Pagerie. The daughter of a penniless planter from Martinique, she was also wife to the young and fickle Vicomte de Beauharnais before she became a widow at 31 years old. Afterwards, she established herself as the ideal partner for the future French Emperor Napoleon and went on to become one of the most remarkable women of her time. The film brings us to the places where Josephine once lived and visited including the Caribbean Islands (Martinique), Italy (Milan, Venice, Udine), France (Paris, Fountainebleau and Plombières) and, of course, the Chateau de Malmaison where she last resided. We'll rediscover the plantation ruins where Josephine grew up poor in Martinique, revisit the church where she had an arranged marriage to Beauharnais at 16 years, and reveal how she escaped the guillotine at the Carmes prison during the Reign of Terror, finally we'll read the letters that Napoleon wrote her.

This product was added to our catalog on Saturday 06 October, 2012.