Napoléon (1927)

Abel Gance’s heroic depiction of the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte is an undisputed cinema landmark.

Famed for its groundbreaking technical innovations – including its famous triptych finale – and a running time of 5 ½ hours, Abel Gance’s epic traverses many of the formative experiences that shaped Napoleon’s rapid advancement. Cool under pressure, Bonaparte overcomes fierce rivals, the deadly Terror and political machinations to seal his imperial destiny. Monumental and visionary, the story’s chapters play out in exhilarating fashion tied together by an incredible feat of editing and technical ingenuity.

1927 France
Directed by
Abel Gance
Written by
Abel Gance
Featuring
Gina Manès, Albert Dieudonné, Eugénie Buffet
Running time
331 minutes

Ranked in The Greatest Films of All Time poll

Sight and Sound

Who voted for Napoléon

Critics

Kambole Campbell
UK
Jake Cole
USA
Koen van Daele
Slovenia
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur
India
Amir Emary
Egypt
Mark Feeney
USA
Ken Hollings
UK
Clyde Jeavons
UK
Gary Meyer
USA
Eddie Muller
USA
Catherine A. Surowiec
UK
Matthew Sweet
UK
Casper Tybjerg
Denmark

Directors

Olivier Assayas
France
Imruh Bakari
Saint Kitts and Nevis/UK
Pablo Berger
Spain
James Vaughan
Australia

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