10 The Ashes (Popioly), 1965

Set in the time of Napoleon wars, shows how the wars swept over the unfortunate Polish country at the beginning of the 19th century. Story revolves around the Polish legion under command of General Dabrowski, who then fought on Napoleon’s side with the hopes of Poland’s revival.

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9 Love and Death, 1975

When Napoleon threatens to invade the Russian Empire, the coward Boris Grushenko is forced to enlist to save his country. He actually captures a group of enemy officers, but the French Army is too strong and soon Napoleon reaches Moscow. Boris thinks that this should put an end to the war, but his young wife wants to murder Napoleon…

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8 The Saragossa Manuscript (Rekopis znaleziony w Saragossie), 1964

Upon finding a book that relates his grandfather’s story, an officer ventures through Spain meeting a wide array of characters, most of whom have a story of their own to tell.

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7 Napoleon (Napoléon vu par Abel Gance), 1927

Director Abel Gance’s epic biopic of the life of Napoleon from his days as a schoolboy to his invasion of Italy soon after his appointment as commander-in-chief of the French army in March 1796 and the subsequent invasion of Italy. As a young lad, his talent for tactics were shown when playing a war game in the snow – with snowballs as their primary weapons. As as adult, Napoleon is deeply affected by the revolution and the chaos that results in everyday life. On his return to France from Corsica, we follow his life through his military career and his rise to power.

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6 Waterloo, 1970

June 1815. French emperor Napoleon has escaped from his exile on the island of Elba and is on the French mainland. With his former soldiers rallying around him, he now has a substantial army. From Paris he heads north to Belgium with the aim of defeating in turn the British and Prussian armies there. By knocking out these armies he can buy himself enough time to bolster his army and potentially defeat his other enemies. The French and British armies are fated to clash near a small town in Belgium, Waterloo.

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5 Gusarskaya ballada (Гусарская баллада), 1962

A young girl decides to join a Husar squadron and fight against Napoleon. Dressed as a man she has a hard time adjusting to the rude Husar life styles.

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4 Napoleon (Napoléon), 2002

A masterful soldier, tactician, and statesmen, Napoleon Bonaparte, with courage and love for his country, rises from an unpaid general consumed with ambition to the most powerful man in Europe. But his life ends with a fall and exile.

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3 The Duellists, 1977

France, 1801. Due to a minor perceived slight, mild-mannered Lieutenant d’Hubert is forced into a duel with hot-headed irrational Lieutenant Feraud. The disagreement ultimately results in scores of duels spanning several years.

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2 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, 2003

April 1805, the British Admiralty orders brilliant sailor captain ‘Lucky’ Jack Aubrey’s frigate, HMS Surprise, to hunt down the French privateer Acheron sailing to South America. Although it proves a worthy adversary, he outsmarts the Napoleonic foe, who also resorts to a last hide and deceit trick. So his able lessons to young officers and midshipmen are combined with the Royal navy’s school of hard knocks. One lieutenant struggling to assert authority causes a impudent sailor to be flogged on captain’s orders but incurs the jinx status of ‘Jonah’ with fatal result. Cultivated Aubrey’s best friend aboard is ship surgeon Stephen Maturin, whose true passion biology is hard to accommodate as the needs or war keep taking precedence, despite two passages at the mysterious Galapagos archipelago and the best efforts of their common favorite, bright and able midshipman Blakeney.

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1 War and Peace (Война и мир), 1965

Eight-hour epic based on the book of the same name by Lev Tolstoy. Two main story-lines are complex and intertwined. One is the love story of young Countess Natasha Rostova and Count Pierre Bezukhov, who is unhappy in his marriage. Another is the “Great Patriotic War” of 1812 against the invading Napoleon’s Armies. The people of Russia from all classes of society stand up united against the enemy. The 500,000 strong Napoleon’s army moves through Russia and causes much destruction, culminating in the battle of Borodino. The Russian army has to retreat. Moscow is occupied, looted and burned down, but soon Napoleon loses control and has to flee. Both sides suffer tremendous losses in the war, and Russian society is left irrevocably changed.

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