Catalogue · No. 47 · Class of 1927 · Grand Spectacle
Napoléon
Abel Gance · 1927 · France · 330 min
Synopsis
The early life of Napoleon Bonaparte is presented through episodes that follow his military formation, political rise, and emerging sense of historical destiny during the turbulence of revolutionary France. Personal ambition, national transformation, and collective fervor converge as the young officer advances toward power amid conflict and instability.
Critique
Abel Gance created one of silent cinema’s most audacious achievements through restless camera movement, rapid montage, superimpositions, and the celebrated Polyvision sequences. The film transforms biography into cinematic propulsion, presenting history as emotional and visual acceleration. Its grandiosity occasionally approaches excess, yet its formal experimentation profoundly expanded the expressive possibilities of epic filmmaking.
Technical sheet
- Director
- Abel Gance
- Year
- 1927
- Country
- France
- Running time
- 330 min
- Genre
- Drama, History, War
- Written by
- Abel Gance
- Cinematography
- Nikolai Toporkoff, Jules Kruger, Joseph-Louis Mundwiller
- Cast
- Albert Dieudonné, Nicolas Roudenko, Edmond van Daële, Alexandre Koubitzky, Antonin Artaud, Abel Gance
- Production
- Société Westi, Ciné France, Films Abel Gance
- Music
- Newly composed original score
Licensing
Screening availability
- Theatrical screenings
- Non-theatrical screenings
- Festivals and cinematheques
- Educational screenings
- Television broadcasting
- Digital platforms and streaming
- Promotional and editorial use
- Licensing of graphic and visual materials
Available formats
- DCP
- DCP with subtitles
- Apple ProRes
- MP4 Screening File
- MP4 Rehearsal Copy for Musicians (silent films)
- Blu-ray
- High-resolution archival masters
Promotional materials
- Posters
- Press stills
- Promotional assets
- Screening support materials
Available subtitles
- English
- Spanish
- French
- Portuguese
- Italian
- German
