A Polish countess becomes Napoleon Bonaparte's mistress at the urging of Polish leaders who feel she could influence him to make Poland independent.A Polish countess becomes Napoleon Bonaparte's mistress at the urging of Polish leaders who feel she could influence him to make Poland independent.A Polish countess becomes Napoleon Bonaparte's mistress at the urging of Polish leaders who feel she could influence him to make Poland independent.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 3 wins & 2 nominations total
- Paul Lachinski
- (as Leif Erikson)
- Laetitia Bonaparte
- (as Dame May Whitty)
- Countess Pelagia Walewska
- (as Marie Ouspenskaya)
- Singer
- (uncredited)
- Prince Mirska
- (uncredited)
- Count Potocka
- (uncredited)
- Alexandre Walewska
- (uncredited)
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis film lost more money for MGM than any other of its films during the period from 1920 to 1949.
- GoofsThough false, it is widely believed that Napoleon started out as an enlisted man. He went to the French military academy and graduated a second lieutenant of artillery. At the Battle of Lodi, he performed the duties of a corporal despite being the French army commander and so earned the nickname 'the little corporal'.
- Quotes
Countess Pelagia Walewska: Who are you?
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: I am Napoleon!
Countess Pelagia Walewska: Napoleon? Napoleon who?
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: Hmm? Bonaparte!
Countess Pelagia Walewska: Napoleon Bonaparte? What kind of name is that? What nationality are you?
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: Corsican by birth. French by adoption. Emperor by achievement.
Countess Pelagia Walewska: So, you are an Emperor, are you? What are you Emperor of?
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: Emperor of France, madame.
Countess Pelagia Walewska: Hee, hee, hee. So you are Emperor of France. And my very good friend, His Majesty, King Louis Sixteenth abdicated in your honor, I suppose?
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: Well, he didn't know it at the time but in a sense he did, madame.
Countess Pelagia Walewska: This house is getting to be a lunatic asylum.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Romance of Celluloid (1937)
After what we see of the Cossacks, no wonder the Poles welcome the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte as liberators, restorers of their country which had been carved up about 40 years earlier by Russia, Prussia, and Austria. And when it seems that Greta Garbo is the best thing the Poles have to offer Charles Boyer, it becomes her patriotic duty, even Stephenson unwillingly goes along with the liaison.
But she really loves the Little Corporal as it turns out. They even have a son together. But unfortunately Boyer is about himself first last and always.
Maria Walewska was not the first or last of Napoleon's amours. In fact this film ought to be seen back to back with Desiree, a lost love of Bonaparte's from an earlier time. Both of his marriages were for political reasons, Garbo should have known about the first one going in.
Conquest is one of the few Garbo films where she is not number one, what holds the film together is Charles Boyer as Napoleon. Boyer captures perfectly both the idealism and ambition that was Bonaparte, he got an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, but lost to Spencer Tracy for Captains Courageous. Not that Garbo's bad, but I can't recall any other film where her leading man overshadowed her.
Although Conquest takes quite a few liberties with the historical record, it's still a fine costume drama, one of the best that MGM put out back in its height.
- bkoganbing
- Jun 9, 2007
- Permalink
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $2,732,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 53 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1