Intro:
Napoleon is a nearly five hour long film, detailing the early story of one of history's most interesting figures. This is in my opinion, the greatest film of the silent era. The acting for the time was incredible, the filming techniques are revolutionary, and the movie was just a masterful work.
Pros:
Even though it's five hours, the movie details the story Napoleon's early life, in a very entertaining way. As we see him as a child, interact with his family and lead campaigns. The movie feels epic in scale, with incredible techniques behind the camera that made my jaw drop. Such as when Napoleon sailed through the Mediterranean in 1793, he barely survived that. And as the film cuts from him to the French Government's reaction, the camera keeps at this chaotic movement, demonstrating how the condition of them inside, was just as insane as Napoleon out at sea. As well as the technique of switching the film's color pallet, as the movie went on. Going from blue, to red, to white. Clearly being the French flag, and when the visuals came together, it was quite the spectacle.
I like the character of Napoleon, honestly, he is a perfect adaptation of the real man. As he is a proud general, a man respected by many, and someone who would take over France. And the performance from Albert Dieudonné was simply spectacular.
The directing and writing on part of Abel Gance was also amazing. And his genius really crafts an epic feeling film, and an epic masterpiece. And the five hour film also never feels boring.
Cons:
I do like this movie, but it does definitely have more than a few problems. The movie I feel, can get tedious at times, and while it's overall not boring. At times the film is a stretch. Like the opening, while I thought it was an interesting way to open to movie, the opening, where Napoleon is a child, and in a snowball fight, the fight goes on for ten minutes. And while I feel it was a great scene, and a great way to demonstrate Napoleon's brilliance as a military leader.
Conclusion:
Napoleon is a great film, a masterpiece of the silent film era, and a classic in every sense of the word. The movie is epic, well shot, well written, and has great acting. It's also experimental and artistic, and I love when a film experiments with techniques. Either new ways of telling the story, or new technique behind the camera. Not all experiments might succeeds, but I like it when they try something knew. This film does it and succeeds at it with flying colors.
Napoleon is a nearly five hour long film, detailing the early story of one of history's most interesting figures. This is in my opinion, the greatest film of the silent era. The acting for the time was incredible, the filming techniques are revolutionary, and the movie was just a masterful work.
Pros:
Even though it's five hours, the movie details the story Napoleon's early life, in a very entertaining way. As we see him as a child, interact with his family and lead campaigns. The movie feels epic in scale, with incredible techniques behind the camera that made my jaw drop. Such as when Napoleon sailed through the Mediterranean in 1793, he barely survived that. And as the film cuts from him to the French Government's reaction, the camera keeps at this chaotic movement, demonstrating how the condition of them inside, was just as insane as Napoleon out at sea. As well as the technique of switching the film's color pallet, as the movie went on. Going from blue, to red, to white. Clearly being the French flag, and when the visuals came together, it was quite the spectacle.
I like the character of Napoleon, honestly, he is a perfect adaptation of the real man. As he is a proud general, a man respected by many, and someone who would take over France. And the performance from Albert Dieudonné was simply spectacular.
The directing and writing on part of Abel Gance was also amazing. And his genius really crafts an epic feeling film, and an epic masterpiece. And the five hour film also never feels boring.
Cons:
I do like this movie, but it does definitely have more than a few problems. The movie I feel, can get tedious at times, and while it's overall not boring. At times the film is a stretch. Like the opening, while I thought it was an interesting way to open to movie, the opening, where Napoleon is a child, and in a snowball fight, the fight goes on for ten minutes. And while I feel it was a great scene, and a great way to demonstrate Napoleon's brilliance as a military leader.
Conclusion:
Napoleon is a great film, a masterpiece of the silent film era, and a classic in every sense of the word. The movie is epic, well shot, well written, and has great acting. It's also experimental and artistic, and I love when a film experiments with techniques. Either new ways of telling the story, or new technique behind the camera. Not all experiments might succeeds, but I like it when they try something knew. This film does it and succeeds at it with flying colors.