Napoleon

6/6/2022

Where to start? Carl Davis' recently composed inspiring score provides a wonderful accompaniment to the truly epic silent retrospective on the life of Napoleon. I saw a digital restoration recently and the quality of this over 90 year old film (in 2 parts) has lost none of its vivacity and vigour. We start with a snowball fight and end with high drama via some magnificent battle scenes. The tints and hues are subtle and vibrant and Abel Gance directs this with real flair and accomplishment. True, it is long; but compellingly so and if you are at all interested in the story of himself; the French reinvigoration that he led and inspired and of the subsequent historical events that gripped the whole of Europe then this is just the film. It seems way too brief a review for such a masterpiece,