Napoléon Bonaparte (1935)

A re-edited version of Abel Gance's silent masterpiece 'Napoleon (1927 )' , with sound effects added, dialogue post-dubbed by actors over the lip movements of the original actors, and with ... See full summary »

Director:

Abel Gance

Writers:

Abel Gance (dialogue), Abel Gance (screenplay)

Stars:

Albert Dieudonné, Gina Manès, Damia

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Albert Dieudonné	...	Napoleon Bonaparte
Gina Manès	...	Josephine de Beauharnais
Damia	...	La 'Marsellaise'
Eugénie Buffet	...	Laetitia Bonaparte
Jane Marken	...	Marie-Anne (as Marken)
Sylvie Gance	...	Théroigne de Méricourt (as Marjolaine)
Joseph Squinquel	...	Stendhal (as Squinquel)
Georges Mauloy	...	Crécy (as Mauloy)
Cathelat	...	Georgin
Henri Baudin	...	Santo-Ricci (as Baudin)
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Trista Fleuri (voice) (as Sokoloff)
Nicolas Koline	...	Tristan Fleuri (as Koline)
Alexandre Koubitzky	...	Danton / Marseillaise chantée (as Koubitzky)
Samson Fainsilber	...	Danton (voice)
Antonin Artaud	...	Marat (as Artaud)

Storyline

A re-edited version of Abel Gance's silent masterpiece 'Napoleon (1927 )' , with sound effects added, dialogue post-dubbed by actors over the lip movements of the original actors, and with new scenes filmed with additional new cast members. The film recounts the life and exploits of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France and conqueror of Europe.

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

9 May 1935 (France)

Also Known As:

Napoléon

Company Credits

Production Co:

Majestic Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Stereo (original presentation)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the soundtrack to this 1934 release is sometimes called stereophonic, Daniel J. Sherlock writes, "The use by Abel Gance of 'stereophonic' sound in the 1930s was actually a process where notches in the film would trigger a sequencer that would turn on and off various surround speakers for enhanced dramatic effects. All speakers were driven by the same monophonic soundtrack."

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Connections

Featured in Paris non stop (1981)

User Reviews

Great film given voices

Abel Gance's masterpiece, Napoleon, was made in 1927 - towards the end of the silent film era. It is over five hours long, and some sections require three synchronized projectors and three screens for theatrical presentation. I saw it many years ago in the last San Francisco theater equipped to show it as intended, with Paul Honegger's original score played on a giant theater organ which could simulate the sounds of an entire orchestra (including drums). The only videotape edition (which I have), released by Coppola in 1989 with a score by his father, is long out of print, and a DVD issue is reportedly prevented by legal complications. But Gance's 1934 re-edit would make a perfect DVD. It would easily fit on one disk, is designed for a single screen, and has voices dubbed in by the original actors. The lip synch is perfect, because Gance made the actors in the silent version speak their lines (perhaps anticipating the advent of sound). While we can hope that the 1927 version eventually makes it to DVD, the 1934 film stands on its own as one of the greatest historical films ever made.