Napoléon (1927)

+ introduction

Abel Gance’s heroic depiction of the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte is an undisputed cinema landmark, plus an introduction by leading Napoleon biographer Adam Zamoyski.

  • Director

    Abel Gance

  • With

    Albert Dieudonné, Vladimir Roudenko, Edmond Van Daële, Antonin Artaud

  • France 1927. 333min
    Digital

  • Certificate

    PG

Abel Gance’s extraordinary depiction of the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte is a landmark in cinema history, lauded by directors such as Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick, but a film that few audiences have had the opportunity to experience.

Famed for its groundbreaking technical innovations - including its famous triptych finale - and a running time of 5 ½ hours, 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. Experience the full scale of this masterpiece on the UK's largest screen with a score composed and conducted by Carl Davis.

This special screening will have a short introduction by Adam Zamoyski, the leading biographer of Napoleon. His books on the subject include Napoleon: The Man Behind the Myth; 1812: Napoleon’s Fatal March on Moscow, and Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna. There will also be opportunity for book signing before and after the film.

There will be intervals during this screening.