Warning! This article contains spoilers for Napoleon.
Ridley Scott’s Napoleon centers on the titular emperor, even going as far as to explain what happened to him after the events of the film including his death. By the Napoleon movie’s ending, much of the historical figure’s life has been put on screen. Surprisingly, much of the movie is split between Napoleon’s notorious military campaign and his marital life with Josephine, played excellently by Vanessa Kirby as part of Napoleon‘s star-studded cast.
The split between these two polarizing aspects of Napoleon’s life may be part of the reason behind Napoleon‘s relatively low Rotten Tomatoes score. That said, many of the elements included in the film are vital to telling the story of the French emperor, allowing Scott and lead actor Joaquin Phoenix to craft a well-rounded biopic that encompasses most aspects of the titular figure’s life. By the end of the film, the question is raised over what happened to Napoleon after the film’s ending, including the circumstances surrounding his death.
Napoleon Bonaparte Spent The Last Several Years Of His Life In Exile
As explored towards the end of Scott’s biopic, Napoleon spent the last six years of his life in exile on the island of Saint Helena. The reason for this exile came from his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Surrounded by troops from the United Kingdom and Prussia with more advancing from other countries of the Seventh Coalition, Napoleon made one final stand only to be ultimately defeated, leading to his capture by British forces.
As penance for his crimes, Napoleon was then exiled to Saint Helena as the British government would now allow him to remain in England. Instead, Napoleon was sent to a British-occupied island located off the coast of Africa. There, Napoleon lived out the rest of his life. As mentioned by the on-screen text at the end of Napoleon, Bonaparte lived in Saint Helena for around six years before passing away.
When & How Napoleon Bonaparte Died
Concerning Napoleon’s death, when and how Bonaparte died is also explained at the end of the film. His exile in Saint Helena was largely peaceful, meaning the famous French military genius did not actually die in battle. Napoleon mentions that the titular character passed away at the age of 51 in 1821, six years after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.
Interestingly, Napoleon’s death, more specifically the cause of his demise, has long been debated. However, it has been commonly mentioned that Napoleon died of an issue regarding his stomach. While some historians have stated Napoleon died of stomach cancer, others have deduced that a stomach ulcer was the most likely cause of death. Regardless, Napoleon died in 1821 after many years of conquest and controversy, putting an end to the life of the figure depicted in Ridley Scott’s Napoleon.
