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| Mosaic |
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| Centre of the storm |
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| Escape |
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| Josephine's Lips |
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| Assembly |
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| Triptych |
Title: Napoléon vu par Abel Gance
Year: 1927
Director: Abel Gance
Format: Blu-ray
Label: BFI
Notes:
Abel Gance's epic silent biopic of Napoléon Bonaparte's early career is a film that shows the magnificent potential of cinema. In 5 hours and 32 minutes a myriad of cinematic techniques are displayed with finesse and despite the long run time, the viewer is almost always kept engaged. A useful subject old Boney!
Some of the many highlights include: multiple sequences with rapid cutting between different shots which create an exciting flickering effect, lots of scenes where the camera is in motion (a simple but effective metaphor for the turbulence of the sea and revolution), split screen sequences throughout and endless expressionist lighting. This is a real delight to watch for any fan of early cinema.
The actors' performances sustain a high quality throughout, impressive given the size of the cast and sheer number of shots. Imagine editing this! All that said, the length could possibly be trimmed a bit by losing some of the scenes during Napoléon's extended courtship of Joséphine de Beauharnais.
The final triumphant reel, in 4:1 ratio, is a spectacular triptych that transcends its technical deficiencies and concludes with a wonderful cavalcade of associative imagery. The final shot is flowing water in tricolore which seems right for the islander who saved France...
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