NAPOLEON

NAPOLEON

Well, you shall see.

JOSEPH

When is she supposed to return?

NAPOLEON

I have no idea. Her maid said she

left two days ago, to meet me -- I

can imagine where she is. But when

she finally does come home, she will

find her things in the street and my

door locked.

JOSEPH

She will probably appear with a

dozen excuses and you will forgive

her anyway.

NAPOLEON

My dear Joseph, the only thing that

is clear is that my wife is a slut

-- and while a man may want a slut

for his mistress, he does not want

her for his wife.

INT. JOSEPHINE'S MIRRORED BEDROOM - NIGHT

Napoleon and Josephine in bed. The mood is post-coital

depression for Napoleon; submission and apprehension for

Josephine. There is a long silence before any one speaks.

NAPOLEON

Were you in love with him?

JOSEPHINE

I thought I was. I was confused.

NAPOLEON

And now?

JOSEPHINE

Now, I know that I shall die if you

leave me.

NAPOLEON

Do you expect me to believe that?

JOSEPHINE

Yes.

Pause.

JOSEPHINE

And you, are you in love with any

one else?

NAPOLEON

No.

JOSEPHINE

But you have had mistresses while

you were away.

NAPOLEON

Of course.

JOSEPHINE

Were you in love with any of them?

NAPOLEON

No.

JOSEPHINE

Were they pretty?

NAPOLEON

Yes.

JOSEPHINE

Were any of them prettier than I am?

NAPOLEON

One had better legs.

JOSEPHINE

Were any of them married?

NAPOLEON

Yes. They were the easiest. I made

love to one of them within ten

minutes of our first meeting.

JOSEPHINE

She must have been in love with you.

NAPOLEON

Not in the least. After all, what is

adultery -- only a brief transaction

on a couch, requiring a few minutes

of privacy.

Josephine presses against him.

JOSEPHINE

Promise me you will never leave me.

NAPOLEON

I cannot promise you that.

JOSEPHINE

Promise me.

NAPOLEON

I will never forgive you.

JOSEPHINE

I don't care, but promise you will

never leave me.

NAPOLEON

I don't understand you.

JOSEPHINE

Promise.

NAPOLEON

Promises mean nothing.

JOSEPHINE

Perhaps -- but tell me you promise,

anyway.

NAPOLEON

All right -- I promise.

JOSEPHINE

You are my old friend.

TITLE: COUP D'ETAT

INT. SALON - NIGHT

A small crowd of men talking to Napoleon, Sieyes, Roger-

Ducos, Joseph and Lucien Bonaparte and Talleyrand. The

meeting is jovial and relaxed.

NARRATOR

For the next three weeks, conspiracy

was openly carried on in Paris -- in

the salons of bankers, generals,

politicians and government

officials.

INT. FOUCHE OFFICE - DAY

Fouche at work as Minister of Police.

NARRATOR

The man responsible for protecting

the government, the Minister of

Police, Joseph Fouche, was part of

the plot.

EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT

A sleepy deputy, in his night shirt, receives his special

summons from a cloaked messenger.

NARRATOR

In the early morning hours on

November 9th, notifications of an

emergency meeting of the councils,

to be held that morning at 7

o'clock, were delivered to those

deputies who supported the

conspiracy.

INT. COUNCIL HALL - DAY

Sieyes addresses the deputies. A good third of the seats

are empty.

NARRATOR

Sieyes warned the sympathetic

deputies of an imminent plot to

seize the government by the radical

Jacobin party, none of whose members

had been summoned to the assembly.

He then proposed two resolutions

which were quickly passed.

EXT. PARIS STREET - DAY

The exciting clatter of horses hoofs on cobblestones draws

confused spectators to the sight of Napoleon at the head

of 50 gold-braided generals, on their way to the assembly.

NARRATOR

The first called for the appointment

of Napoleon to command the troops

assigned to protect the councils.

The second called for the councils

to be moved, on the following day,

to St. Cloud, ten miles from Paris,

where they would be safe, and out of

reach of the Paris mob.

INT. BARRAS SALON - DAY

Barras, in his bathrobe signing 6 copies of his

resignation. Talleyrand hovers over him, carefully

putting the signed copies to one side. Three officers

stand by the door.

NARRATOR

Later, the same day, the three

members of the Directory who were

not part of the plot were

effectively taken out of the

picture. Barras was forced to

resign under threat of death and an

offer of gilded exile.

INT. LUXEMBOURG - DAY

Moulins and Gohier glumly eating an elegant lunch, laid

out on a desk. Two soldiers stand guard at the door.

NARRATOR

Gohier and Moulins, who would not be

intimidated, were locked up under

guard at the Luxembourg.

EXT. GROUNDS OF ST. CLOUD PALACE - DAY

Warmly-dressed spectators have made the dawn journey from

Paris, and are scattered about the gardens and lawns,

breakfasting from picnic baskets.

Groups of infantry laze on the grass, playing cards,

reading, smoking and sleeping.

NARRATOR

The next morning, on November 10th,

at the Palace of St. Cloud, the

final moves were to be made which

would bring Napoleon to supreme

power.

INT. ORANGERY - DAY

A long, narrow annexe, with high windows which open out

onto a courtyard, occupied by troops. There are no chairs

and the deputies, dressed in their strange-looking, long,

scarlet togas and odd, square birettas, are uncomfortably

crowded together, in emergency session.

Lucien Bonaparte, who is the temporary President, looks

worried.

Delbrel, the leader of the Jacobin party is in the middle

of a speech to the deputies. He is an effective orator,

with the right mixture of sarcasm and a sense of moral

superiority.

DELBREL

Citizen Deputies, we have been

isolated here at St. Cloud and

surrounded by troops. Yesterday, we

were told this was to protect us

against a plot to seize the

government. Today we are told that

all five members of the Directory

have suddenly, and without any

warning, resigned. Now we have been

asked to pass a resolution forming a

provisional government, of three

consuls to replace the five

directors -- these three consuls

being General Bonaparte and two of

the newly-resigned members of the

Directory, Sieyes and Roger-Ducos.

We have further been asked to

adjourn this assembly for a period

of three months, leaving all

executive and administrative power

in the hands of the three newly-

appointed consuls, who will then

draw up a new Constitution.

Angry murmurs.

DELBREL

Citizen Deputies, does any one in

this room have the slightest doubts

as to what is being attempted, or to

the identity of those who are

involved?

Angry murmurs.

DELBREL

Especially so, since I have it on

excellent authority that the three

members of the Directory who are not

present here today have, indeed, not

resigned willingly, but in the case

of Gohier and Moulins, they are

under arrest in the Luxembourg --

and, in the case of Barras, a

resignation was forced from him

under threat of death.

Pandemonium breaks out in the assembly.

LUCIEN BONAPARTE

(ringing bell)

Order, order, order. Citizen

Delbrel, you are out of order. You

are out of order.

Uproar.

DELBREL

(shouting)

And you, Citizen Bonaparte -- your

role as President of this assembly

is an honorary one, given only for

the period on one month, on the

occasion of your brother's return

from Egypt. And since your

nomination was originally put

forward by the two conspirators,

Sieyes and Roger-Ducos, I demand

that you immediately disqualify

yourself from these proceedings and

leave this chamber!!

Uproar of approval, and cries of "Long Live the Republic."

LUCIEN BONAPARTE

(ringing bell)

You are out of order, Citizen

Delbrel! You are out of order!

INT. ST. CLOUD SALON - DAY

The conspirators wait in what was formerly one of Marie-

Antoinette's reception salons, now bare of all furniture

except three arm-chairs grouped before a large, ornate

fireplace, in which there is a small fire.

The shouting from the Orangery can be faintly heard

through the walls.

Napoleon paces, nervously.

Sieyes, huddled in an overcoat, stares apprehensively into

the fire. Roger-Ducos pokes at it with a damp log.

Joseph Bonaparte stands, gazing out of the window at the

troops, sprawled on the grass.

There is a knock at the door.

NAPOLEON

Come in.

ORDERLY

Major Lavallette to see you,

General.

NAPOLEON

Send him in.

Lavallette comes in, salutes.

LAVALLETTE

General Bonaparte, I have a message

from Lucien. He says there is not

chance at all now to bring the

proposals to a vote. Delbrel has

given the alarm to the other

parties. He says you must either

use the troops immediately, or think

of saving yourselves.

SIEYES

(to Napoleon)

Oh, my God. I told you he should

have been arrested yesterday. Why

did I listen to you?

Napoleon ignores Sieyes and walks to the window.

JOSEPH

Will you use the troops?

NAPOLEON

Only as a last resort. What are the

Councils doing now?

LAVALLETTE

Both chambers are swearing an oath

to the Constitution.

Knock at the door.

NAPOLEON

Come in.

ORDERLY

A message from Citizen Fouche.

NAPOLEON

Let me have it.

The officer hands Napoleon an envelope and exits.

Napoleon looks at the note and, then, reads it aloud.

NAPOLEON

My dear Bonaparte, if you have not

already done so, I urge you to press

things to a conclusion. I cannot

guarantee the situation for very

much longer in Paris.

Sieyes, in an absolute panic, leans over and whispers to

Roger-Ducos.

SIEYES

Go and make sure the carriage and

driver are ready to leave at a

moment's notice.

Roger-Ducos exits. Napoleon paces the room.

SIEYES

Well -- what are you going to do?

NAPOLEON

Have patience -- all will be well.

There is a knock at the door.

NAPOLEON

Come in.

ORDERLY

Citizen Bourrienne to see you, sir.

NAPOLEON

Send him in.

BOURRIENNE

A message from Lucien -- he says

that you had better act now.

Delbrel is going to introduce a

motion to halt the oaths and take a

vote to outlaw the three of you.

SIEYES

Oh, my God! Oh, my God! We will

all be on the guillotine in 24

hours.

NAPOLEON

Please stop chattering -- and let me

think.

SIEYES

There is nothing left to think

about. We will be outlawed! You've

waited too long! I'm leaving, and

any one who wishes to save his neck

will follow suit.

He exits.

INT. ORANGERY - DAY

Deputies going through the ritual of individually swearing

their oaths to the Constitution.

Napoleon enters with four grenadier guards and causes an

immediate uproar.

The grenadiers try to force a passage to approach the

speaker's rostrum but a group of Jacobin deputies bar the

way.

DEPUTY #1

What -- bayonets in here?

DEPUTY #2

Soldiers! You are violating the

sanctuary of the laws. Withdraw

immediately!

NAPOLEON

Please stand out of the way. Four

grenadiers are no threat to you.

DEPUTY #3

Withdraw! Withdraw!

NAPOLEON

Citizen Deputies, please stand out

of the way -- I wish to approach the

speaker's rostrum!