Quotes
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Joséphine de Beauharnais : Look at me. Why don't you look at me? You've done it. You've done a dreadful thing. Although I begged you not to, and so did your mother, your entire family.
Napoléon : This affair doesn't concern you, or my family. It's an affair of state. It concerns the government of France, and me.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : And you, yes, you! You could have pardoned him. You didn't need anyone. You only had to say one word. One little word!
Napoléon : If he - had asked me to spare him... but those Bourbons are so stupidly proud.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : Proud, yes, but innocent! He wasn't even in France during the attempt to your life.
Napoléon : His friends were. And even if they didn't do it, they did it for him.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : This foul deed will bring a curse upon us. Sorrow to you, and sorrow to me, because I couldn't stop you!
[Josephine leaves for the door]
Joséphine de Beauharnais : And sorrow, to all who had a hand in this crime!
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Joséphine de Beauharnais : Very well. Since you seem to be saying my husband won't be back for Christmas, I shall join him in Poland.
Charles Talleyrand : I shouldn't think that would be a terribly good idea, madame, and if you return from that journey sadder than when you departed, you'll have only yourself to blame.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : The man I love is there.
Charles Talleyrand : It takes two to love.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : What are you insinuating?
Charles Talleyrand : Insinuating, madame? Strange, isn't it? People always accuse me of wearing a mask to conceal my thoughts, and yet the one time I'm completely candid, you appear not to have understood. But then perhaps it's you who's wearing the mask.
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Napoléon : You play dreadfully today.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : Would you rather I let Mademoiselle Denuelle take my place? Oh, perhaps she doesn't play chess. She can't be good at everything, can she?
Napoléon : You should know better than me, because Eleanore Denuelle is one of your ladies in waiting.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : And one of your mistresses.
Napoléon : Just gossip.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : She has a way of talking about you that gives it away. Not only she's your mistress, she's in love with you.
Napoléon : Supposing it's true. The only thing that would matter to you is whether I'm in love with her.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : Ah, good question. What's the answer? She excites you but you don't love her.
Napoléon : You see, you have nothing to fear. Your turn.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : I'm not afraid of Eleanore Denuelle, no more than any of these other little... that you've taken to bed, and you go on taking to bed. The only thing I fear is that you'll love me less and less, until the day comes when you don't love me at all.
Napoléon : That will never happen.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : Anything can happen, my friend.
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Joséphine de Beauharnais : Gentlemen, the First Consul will see you tomorrow. Tonight is Christmas Eve. No one discusses profane matters on Christmas Eve.
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Joséphine de Beauharnais : You have fewer enemies now. Even the press is unanimously singing your praises.
Napoléon : I had to close down 60 newspapers to achieve that.
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Joséphine de Beauharnais : Poor child. What's the point of filling her head with dreams? You know she'll never be anything else than a guttersnipe.
Napoléon : That's how you think, my dear. As for me, I want France to be a country where nothing is impossible for anyone.
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Napoléon : My god, you're beautiful. Not a day over 25.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : It's makeup. A painter invented it and helped me put it on, working highlights and shadows, as if I were a masterpiece.
Napoléon : You are.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : Your masterpiece, then. The masterpiece of your love.
