Désirée

Jean Simmons and Marlon Brando star in Desiree, the story of a young woman briefly involved with Napoleon. This is a sumptuous production to look at, but it's too long and extremely boring. Unlike some of the other posters, I was unimpressed with Marlon Brando's whispering Napoleon. I am a huge fan of Brando's and found his static portrayal a disappointment. He did, however, look like Napoleon, with the lock of hair over his forehead. I am also a huge fan of Jean Simmons but unfortunately, both of these actors were let down by the script and the incredibly plodding direction. Her character never really developed past girlhood. There was no chemistry between the two, and the story just meandered along. Michael Rennie as Bernadotte had little to do. The only standout was the beautiful Merle Oberon as the ousted Josephine. Also, historically, the film is inaccurate. Overall, pretty to look at, and a drag to watch.

I watched this movie for the first time as a girl of 12 yrs. I loved it then and I love it now. I love the spunk of the character, Desiree Clary, so innocent, youthful, and fearless. The costumes were gorgeous. The story line has been described as sappy by some, but it provided a human, romantic overview of the era and of Napoleon, I enjoyed the movie and the actors and that's all that matters. Marlon Brando and Michael Rennie just added to the enjoyment. I vowed at the time that I first saw the movie, should I have a daughter I'd name her Desiree and I was blessed with a beautiful dark haired baby girl and her name is "Desiree". She just turned 22.

1954 biography of Napoleon leaves a lot to be desired. History is rushed in the film. At least, they could have shown what Napoleon and his French army had to endure during the bitter cold Russian winter that the invaders encountered. The story is of Desiree who meets Napoleon during a walk in the park. He is assertive, demanding and is so much into himself. He immediately arranges the marriage of his brother to Desiree's sister and promises Desiree marriage only to be swept away by Josephine in Paris. Another fateful encounter brings Michael Rennie into the film and they are wed. As Josephine, Merle Oberon is totally wasted in the role. She appears briefly and of course was dumped for her inability to produce an heir to the throne. How Rennie was chosen to be the future king of Sweden was not fully explained, but we soon see that Desiree was unable to adopt to Swedish culture and returns home as Napoleon prepares for world domination in the name of bringing forth a united Europe.