martino and a young teacher in the island of elba and have be form by maestro fontanelli and an excellent educator and to be his own man and to say whatever he think and something that get him in trouble at the school where we first meet him because he be teach revolutionary ideal . the island be in a frenzy because of the arrival of one of the most influential men in european history of the 19th century . napoleon be come to his exile and not exactly a high point in his life . with surprise and martino be choose to accompany napoleon who be write his memoir and be in need of help for his own project . the young man come from a sea merchant family . his brother and sister want him to go on an commercial expedition and but martino have decide his place belongs in elba because he will try to assassinate napoleon . little deters him after his mentor fontanelli be try for treason and condemn to be shoot by a firing squad . martino find his consolation with the much old baroness emilia and a beautiful woman . in his own interaction with the deposed emperor and a different kind of man emerges . napoleon be see a a more human person who really enjoy the company of martino and not suspect with the plan the young man own plan for him . unfortunately and martino be not able to put his design into action because napoleon have other plan in mind . paolo virzi and the director of caterina va in citta and show why his early promise be still there . mr. virzi also collaborate with the screenplay and which be base on a novel by ernesto ferrero . the director show he be as good in intimate drama as well a with this type of spectacle . alessandro pesci and the cinematographer and do an excellent job with the image he be able to get . elio germano and a young italian actor be the best thing in the movie . he be play against more experienced player and yet he manage to convince u he be the idealist youth try to get justice to what he perceive be a noble cause . the great daniel auteuil be a more subdued napoleon than one would expect from anyone interpretation of this large than life man . monica belucci be the love interest of martino and but she have little to do . omero antonutti play fontanelli .