Napoleon

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Cast & Crew

Albert Dieudonne
Napoléon Bonaparte

Antonin Artaud
Marat

Pierre Batcheff
Le général Lazare Hoche

Wladimir Roudenko

Gina Manès
Joséphine de Beauharnais

Nicolas Koline
Tristan Fleuri

Suzanne Charpentier

Serge Freddykarll

Edmond Van Daele
Maximilien Robespierre

Alexandre Koubitzky
Danton

Abel Gance
Director

Abel Gance
Writer

Abel Gance
Producer

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Critic Reviews for Napoléon

Audience Reviews for Napoléon

• Jul 27, 2012

  Modern film-goers are used to explication, to having everything explained for them. The art of visual story-telling -- where images and action indicate the emotional state of characters, rather than have the actor tell you how angry or sad or excited they are -- has almost been lost. But Napoleon is a masterpiece of visual art. (Writer-director Abel Gance was honored at the Telluride film festival a few years ago for this film. Far too late, in my opinion.) The film tells the life of Napoleon Bonaparte -- the Corsican who adopts France as his homeland, rises to supreme general of the French armies during the Revolution and eventually seizes the seat of government itself (twice!). It starts out with a lengthy (if perhaps mythological) examination of Napoleon's childhood in a Catholic school. Snowball fights between Napoleon and two future foes portend the future. Napoleon's friendship with a pet eagle foreshadows his role as emperor of France. But even though these scenes represent more artistic license than history, they are tremendously well-acted by the young Vladimir Roudenko (as young Napoleon). Among the many innovations are some relatively naturalistic acting by the members of the cast and some jaw-dropping editing and montage sequences (especially during the brawl during the snowball fight and the fight in the sleeping quarters). Such innovative use of editing probably wouldn't be seen for another 30 or 40 years! After almost an hour of this three-hour epic, we're transported to the period of the adult Napoleon -- acted with gravitas and iciness by Albert Dieudonne (who is among the cast's taller actors, just as Napoleon was in reality fairly tall, too). The film dwells extensively on the formative period when Napoleon first arrives in Paris during the late Revolution, focusing heavily on how the chaos in the city stamped into Napoleon the authoritarianism and dictatorial leadership traits that would emerge later in life. This is perhaps the highlight of the film. The editing and visual images create a swirling, spinning, mind-blowing effect that is extremely effective. The film then focuses on Napoleon's return to Corisca -- whose people held allegiances to Spain and Italy as well as France, and where Napoleon faced imprisonment due to his French leanings. For anyone interested in learning more about the life of Napoleon, this segment is pretty eye-opening. It's followed by a sequence at sea that's amazingly effective in conveying the power and terror of a storm at sea. For its time, this film contained some powerful ocean footage (watch for those amazing low-angle shots, and the ingenious intercutting of the "angry storm" of the French assembly and Napoleon's tiny skiff tossed about on the stormy seas). The final hour and a half of the film depicts Napoleon's rise in the army and his tenure as emperor of France. This is perhaps the portion of the film that most viewers would think of as "the story of Napoleon." But perhaps one of the reasons why this film is so fascinating is that it delves deeply into the formative episodes in Napoleon's early life and gives as much importance to them as to his later actions on the battlefield in Italy, his tenure as emperor, and his subsequent exile, return, and exile. And the film does so without being heavy-handed, un-subtle or overly expositive. A restored version of "Napoleon" is making the rounds in the US in cinemas and on television. It contains a new musical soundtrack by Carmine Coppola, which is fairly good (although at times repetitive and too loud). The film was restored and re-edited by Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope studio. Zoetrope added some tinting (the ocean scenes are all blue, the "angry mob" scenes are all red) that is interesting but perhaps not quite the "restoration" some viewers might have had in mind. Watch "Napoleon." You'll be very surprised at how modern the film is. Compared to other silent films of the 1920s, with the undercranked action, overly emotive acting, fantastic plots and theatrical make-up and costumes, "Napoleon" is years ahead of its time. Silent films require concentration to watch. "Napoleon" will surely keep your interest.
  Jonathan H Super Reviewer
• Mar 09, 2010

  <i>"From now on, <u>I</u> am the revolution!"</i> That single key phrase highlights Gance's main intentions. To think this was supposed to be the first out of 6 parts, and yet the monumental ending of epic proportions has already become the most celebrated visual collage of the 20s. Dieudonné is dazzling as the political figure that changed the course of humanity's history. Griffith and Gance: the true creators of epic cinema. Napoléon is meant to amaze audiences eternally, from its technical accomplishments and historical value, to the "militia" allegory that introduces the character's infancy. Absolute masterpiece. 100/100
  Edgar C Super Reviewer
• May 07, 2008

  yes, it's a four hour silent epic on the life of napoleon. i guess i don't need to say it's not for everyone :) however if u have the time and the inclination and can find it, it's an amazing achievement. thrilling action scenes, stunning camera work using techniques that wouldn't be seen again for decades, and it helps if u enjoy history lol. i understand coppola is holding up the dvd release and that's a shame. this deserves a criterion!
  Stella D Super Reviewer

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