The film follows the life of Napoleon from his early life in Corsica to his death at Saint Helena. The film is notable for its use of location shooting for numerous scenes, especially at the French estates of Malmaison and Fontainebleau, the Palace of Versailles, and sites of Napoleonic battles including Austerlitz and Waterloo.
Key credits listed on this page include Sacha Guitry, Daniel Gélin, Michèle Morgan, Raymond Pellegrin, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Jeanne Boitel, Gilbert Bokanowski, and Pierre Brasseur.