Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons star in this semi-fictional, epic costume drama based on Annemarie Selinko's novel. Désirée (Jean Simmons) is young Napoleon's first true love, long before his rise to power. However, he has to decide whether to marry her and sacrifice his career or abandon her. The two lovers go their separate ways, Désirée eventually marrying the King of Sweden and Napoleon marrying Josephine (Merle Oberon), and only meet again when Napoleon is about to decide to go into exile.