Napoléon

Napoléon (1927)

  • 89% of critics liked it
    (19 reviews)

  • 90% of users liked it
    (1,462 ratings)

The chef d'ouevre of legendary French filmmaker Abel Gance, the 235-minute Napoleon was supposed to have been the first installment in a multipart film study of the French military hero. Each of the film's set pieces is treated like a movie in itself: the opening pillow fights and snowball… More

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G,
Directed By
Written By
Abel Gance
Genres
Drama, Art House & International, Classics
In Theaters
Feb 7, 1929 Wide
Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

  • Mordaunt Hall, New York Times

    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.

  • Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

    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.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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

  • Lou Lumenick, New York Post

    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.

  • Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

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

Read all 14 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Jonathan H


    Modern film-goers are used to explication, to having everything explained for them. The art of visual story-telling -- where images and action indicate the emotional state of characters, rather than have the actor tell you how angry or sad or excited they are -- has almost been lost.… More

  • Stella D


    yes, it's a four hour silent epic on the life of napoleon. i guess i don't need to say it's not for everyone :) however if u have the time and the inclination and can find it, it's an amazing achievement. thrilling action scenes, stunning camera work using… More

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