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Poster for Napoleon

Napoleon

1927 · 7h 9m · N/A Drama, History, War
Directed by Abel Gance

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Overview

A biopic of Napoleon Bonaparte, tracing the Corsican's career from his schooldays (where a snowball fight is staged like a military campaign) to his flight from Corsica, through the French Revolution (where a real storm is intercut with a political storm) and the Terror, culminating in his triumphant invasion of Italy in 1797.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
87%
Tomatometer
Rotten

There is in this edition of the picture an effort to cover too many historical incidents and the consequence is that quite a number of the passages are confused.

Mordaunt Hall, New York Times
Fresh

Like D.W. Griffith, Orson Welles, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas, but mostly James Cameron, Gance understood the thrill of the cinematic event and had the hubris to bring it off.

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
Fresh

Napoleon is the last great silent epic. We will not see its like again.

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Fresh

Gance uses techniques not much associated with silent film, like a hand-held camera, multiple superimpositions, split split screen, rapid-fire editing and flashbacks to rivet the audience's attention and bring history to vivid life.

Lou Lumenick, New York Post
Fresh

The experience it provides - at times, akin to taking a drug - is unlike anything I've ever experienced in a movie theater.

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

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