Napoleon

The American mind can’t comprehend… Though I doubt any mind can. Almost a century ago, a biopic about Napoleon Bonaparte’s early life was made. The full version of the film runs for 7 hours, and those are 7 hours of constant momentum, constantly raising the stakes, and gradually realizing the greatness of its protagonist. The film is silent, yet it feels as though lengthy dialogue would only have gotten in its way. It would have distracted from the action. And Napoleon was a man of relentless action. Therefore, a film about him should be filled with wars, revolutions, overcoming adversity, epic grandeur, and pathos—not with philosophical discussions. This is not a film from 1927—it is eternal. And even another hundred years from now, Napoleon will still look monumental. Just like its original.What makes it an even more fascinating historical artifact is the fact that it could never have been made in any year other than 1927—and never will be. Americans will never make a film like this; they simply do not understand how to make something like it (see the title of this post). And Europeans most likely will never be able to put up that kind of money. They couldn’t even do it back then. That is why, out of the enormous Napoleon franchise that was planned, all we have is its first seven-hour installment. Which only makes it more precious. This shot from the film, by the way, was created to be shown on three projectors simultaneously. The entire final half hour of Napoleon was presented that way in theaters (or, more precisely, in those theaters that had the capability to do so). Needless to say, it was an innovation for 1927. And the way it is used here is simply beautiful…