Thanks to the arrival of French soldiers at just the right moment, "Count Walewski" (Henry Stephenson) and his young wife, "Marie" (Greta Garbo), avoid being victims of the Russian troops who’ve invaded their home. Not long after that, she meets Napoleon Bonaparte (Charles Boyer), a very charming and seemingly unstoppable leader, and despite an awkward beginning, he soon begins sending her letters professing his unwavering affection. She comes to believe that she might be able to better serve her country's independence if she goes along with things—even though it means distancing herself from her husband. Soon, she becomes someone he confides in and starts wielding a significant amount of influence over an Emperor who’s set on establishing his own royal line – although not with her. What follows is essentially a condensed version of Napoleon's ascent and decline, feeling somewhat hurried, while "Marie" holds back a secret from him that could destabilize what remains of his empire. Boyer seems comfortable in his role, but Garbo doesn’t appear to be at her best; the camera clearly adores her, yet her portrayal feels strangely detached. Even when attempting to be alluring—and, truthfully, she hardly needs to exert herself with the Frenchman—she appears unengaged, as if reading lines from a card just off-screen. The story's later developments somewhat cater to conspiracy theories, and the final ten minutes are mildly engaging, but mostly this is a visually impressive yet slow-moving drama that fails to truly ignite. A brief appearance by Maria Ouspenskaya provides some entertainment, but otherwise it’s hard to praise this production.

Source on TMDB