Cultural depictions of Napoleon

Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, has become a worldwide cultural icon generally associated with tactical brilliance, ambition, and political power. His distinctive features and costume have made him a very recognisable figure in popular culture.

Few men in human history have elicited both as much hatred and admiration, and have divided opinion so much. From the beginnings of his military and political career, by seizing power through the coup of 18 Brumaire (1799), Napoleon inscribed himself in the grand historical narrative of modernity and in the memory of men through a tumultuous and exceptional destiny. His meteoric rise, initially achieved through victorious military conquests, the unprecedented scale of his final defeats, as well as his two exiles, have made this major figure in the history of France and Europe a legendary character.

He has been portrayed in many works of fiction, his depiction varying greatly with the author's perception of the historical character. On the one hand, Napoleon has become a worldwide cultural icon who symbolises military genius and political power. For example, in the 1927 film Napoléon, young general Bonaparte is portrayed as a heroic visionary. On the other hand, he has often been reduced to a stock character and has frequently been depicted as a short and "petty tyrant", sometimes comically so.