Napoléon
Napoléon is a 1927 silent French epic film written, produced, and directed by Abel Gance that tells the story of Napoleon's early years. On screen, the title is Napoléon vu par Abel Gance, meaning "Napoleon as seen by Abel Gance". The film is recognised as a masterwork of fluid camera motion, produced in a time when most camera shots were static. Many innovative techniques were used to make the film, including fast cutting, extensive close-ups, a wide variety of hand-held camera shots, location shooting, point of view shots, multiple-camera setups, multiple exposure, superimposition, underwater camera, kaleidoscopic images, film tinting, split screen and mosaic shots, multi-screen projection, and other visual effects. A revival of Napoléon in the mid-1950s influenced the filmmakers of the French New Wave. The film used the Keller-Dorian cinematography for its color sequences.
Plot
The scenario of the film as originally written by Gance was published in 1927 by Librairie Plon. Much of the scenario describes scenes that were rejected during initial editing, and do not appear in any known version of the film. The following plot includes only those scenes that are known to have been included in some version of the film. Not every scene described below can be viewed today.
Cast
- Abel Gance
- Acho Chakatouny
- Adrien Caillard
- Albert Dieudonné
- André Cerf
- Annabella
- Antonin Artaud
- Armand Bernard
- Armand Lurville
- Blanche Beaume
- Camille Beuve
- Conrad Veidt
- Daniel Mendaille
- Edmond T. Gréville
- Edmond Van Daële
- Edy Debray
- Ernest Maupain
- Eugénie Buffet
- Fabien Haziza
- Francine Mussey
- François Viguier
- Georges Cahuzac
- Georges Lampin
- Georges Paulais
- Georgette Sorelle
- Gina Manès
- Guy Favières
- Henri Baudin
- Henri Beaulieu
- Henry Bonvallet
- Henry Krauss
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- Jane Marken
- Jean d'Yd
- Jean Tissier
- Joë Hamman
- Laurent Morléas
- Léo Courtois
- Léon Larive
- Louis Vonelly
- Marcel Delaître
- Marcel Pérès
- Marie-Louise Damien
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- Maurice Schutz
- Max Maxudian
- Nikolay Kolin
- Olaf Fjord
- Paul Amiot
- Philippe Hériat
- Philippe Rolla
- Pierre Batcheff
- Rivers Cadet
- Robert Arnoux
- Robert Vidalin
- Roger Blin
- Simone Genevois
- Suzanne Bianchetti
- Suzy Vernon
- Sylvie Gance
- Vladimir Sokoloff