I can't even imagine the change of direction cinema would have took if all 5 parts of Glance's Napoleon were shot. The difference would be nothing short of revolutionary. Yet the first part of this masterful plan remains in cinema's history as nonexistent. Universally overlooked as a clear result of Glance's vision being too enormous for the general audience. 6+ hours of length, earliest use of Polyvision, portrayal of one of the largest political figures in history. Everything points to the man going mountains beyond what was considered up to industries standards. His gigantic vision for cinema could have literally moved the earth. > "They ought to provide theaters seating 20,000 people. They put 100,000 spectators in a stadium to watch people kicking a ball."- Abel Gance

Ahead of his time and conclusively, yet unfortunately, even ours, Napoleon is the greatest what if in the entirety of cinema. Brought partly to life by one of the most visionary directors ever to live.

I can't even imagine the change of direction cinema would have took if all 5 parts of Glance's Napoleon were shot. The difference would be nothing short of revolutionary. Yet the first part of this masterful plan remains in cinema's history as nonexistent. Universally overlooked as a clear result of Glance's vision being too enormous for the general audience. 6+ hours of length, earliest use of Polyvision, portrayal of one of the largest political figures in history. Everything points to the man going mountains beyond what was considered up to industries standards. His gigantic vision for cinema could have literally moved the earth. > "They ought to provide theaters seating 20,000 people. They put 100,000 spectators in a stadium to watch people kicking a ball."- Abel Gance

Ahead of his time and conclusively, yet unfortunately, even ours, Napoleon is the greatest what if in the entirety of cinema. Brought partly to life by one of the most visionary directors ever to live.

I finally finished Napoleon (1927) after spending three days with it, and honestly… it was absolutely worth every minute.

Act I — Youth & Revolution
The early section does a brilliant job showing Napoleon’s formative years. The snowball fight sequence alone feels ahead of its time, almost like a blueprint for modern cinematic energy. You can already see the ambition—both in the character and in the filmmaking.

Act II — Rise Through Chaos
As the French Revolution unfolds, the film becomes more intense and experimental. The pacing, editing, and camera movement feel shockingly modern. It’s not just telling history—it throws you into it. You feel the instability, the violence, and Napoleon’s growing presence.

Act III — Power & Vision
This is where everything elevates into something truly epic. Napoleon is no longer just a man—he becomes a force. The scale increases, the visuals become more daring, and the film starts to feel mythological.

Finale — Italian Campaign
Yes, it’s a bit disappointing that the story ends with the Italian Campaign, but what we get is still monumental. The final sequence with the French national anthem is incredibly powerful… and then comes the legendary triptych (three-screen projection).

That final moment? Absolutely insane. It feels massive, emotional, and way ahead of its time—like cinema breaking its own limits.

Final Thoughts
This film is a true epic in every sense. It’s not just long—it earns its length. You can see how it influenced so many films that came after it. Visionary, ambitious, and unforgettable.

If you’re even slightly interested in cinema history, I highly recommend watching it.

I finally finished Napoleon (1927) after spending three days with it, and honestly… it was absolutely worth every minute.

Act I — Youth & Revolution
The early section does a brilliant job showing Napoleon’s formative years. The snowball fight sequence alone feels ahead of its time, almost like a blueprint for modern cinematic energy. You can already see the ambition—both in the character and in the filmmaking.

Act II — Rise Through Chaos
As the French Revolution unfolds, the film becomes more intense and experimental. The pacing, editing, and camera movement feel shockingly modern. It’s not just telling history—it throws you into it. You feel the instability, the violence, and Napoleon’s growing presence.

Act III — Power & Vision
This is where everything elevates into something truly epic. Napoleon is no longer just a man—he becomes a force. The scale increases, the visuals become more daring, and the film starts to feel mythological.

Finale — Italian Campaign
Yes, it’s a bit disappointing that the story ends with the Italian Campaign, but what we get is still monumental. The final sequence with the French national anthem is incredibly powerful… and then comes the legendary triptych (three-screen projection).

That final moment? Absolutely insane. It feels massive, emotional, and way ahead of its time—like cinema breaking its own limits.

Final Thoughts
This film is a true epic in every sense. It’s not just long—it earns its length. You can see how it influenced so many films that came after it. Visionary, ambitious, and unforgettable.

If you’re even slightly interested in cinema history, I highly recommend watching it.

Long Movie Marathon Part V

i know what you’re thinking, “an over 7 hour long silent film rated 5 stars? holy fuck that’s pretentious.” but bear with me, and let me explain. often in the conversation of the greatest silent films of all time, names like ‘City Lights’ ‘Metropolis’ ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ and even ‘A Trip to the Moon’ come up, but rarely does this tremendous gem enter the fray; which to me, is a borderline criminal offense. where do i start? the score is perfect, the color grading and use of light is exceptional, the cinematography as a whole is DECADES ahead of its time, its rife with emotion and intensity from start to finish, it explores nearly the entire story of napoleon in great depth with a “fair” level of accuracy (especially when considering this movie was made 98~ years ago but they did take some creative liberties), the acting and set pieces blew me away, and my god the superimposition and polyvision was so damn cool; its frankly a fucking insane viewing experience. it really is the greatest silent film ive seen, and it might just be tied with ‘War and Peace’ (1967) for the greatest historical epic as well. 

THIS is cinema.

Long Movie Marathon Part V

i know what you’re thinking, “an over 7 hour long silent film rated 5 stars? holy fuck that’s pretentious.” but bear with me, and let me explain. often in the conversation of the greatest silent films of all time, names like ‘City Lights’ ‘Metropolis’ ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ and even ‘A Trip to the Moon’ come up, but rarely does this tremendous gem enter the fray; which to me, is a borderline criminal offense. where do i start? the score is perfect, the color grading and use of light is exceptional, the cinematography as a whole is DECADES ahead of its time, its rife with emotion and intensity from start to finish, it explores nearly the entire story of napoleon in great depth with a “fair” level of accuracy (especially when considering this movie was made 98~ years ago but they did take some creative liberties), the acting and set pieces blew me away, and my god the superimposition and polyvision was so damn cool; its frankly a fucking insane viewing experience. it really is the greatest silent film ive seen, and it might just be tied with ‘War and Peace’ (1967) for the greatest historical epic as well. 

THIS is cinema.

One of the best 75 films I’ve ever seen.**

Napoleon by Abel Gance is grand, monumental, and historical. It is magnificent, imposing, spectacular, outstanding, extraordinary, incredible, formidable, splendid, majestic, magnanimous, colossal, vibrant, dazzling, sublime, immense, unstoppable, radiant, impressive, phenomenal, overwhelming, overflowing, emotional, unique, legendary, transcendental, impactful, revolutionary, captivating, excessive, exceptional, unforgettable, breathtaking, immense, unequaled, advanced, moving, inspiring, fascinating, bold, gigantic, overwhelming, irreplaceable, timeless, alluring, powerful, majestic, deafening, brilliant, great, prodigious, immortal, sublime, wonderful.

Each of these terms reflects the magnitude and transcendence of this cinematic masterpiece.

The film's editing easily ranks among the top 3 best edits in film history. From the snow battle in the war games to the end, which I can't reveal much about. I'll only say that it is on the same level (or even more) than the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey. If Eisenstein created the montage, this film refines it to a point that transcends the celluloid. Abel Gance had planned six parts for Napoleon’s life, but tragically, he couldn’t make them, so we will always be left wondering what could have been the most epic saga in human history.

I am a film and history nerd, so this film is basically a mix of what I am most passionate about in the world. This review, therefore, is my nerdiest self to date.

Every scene is about 98% accurate. There were times when I felt like I was witnessing some kind of documentary because everything felt so genuine. It was as if Abel Gance had traveled back in time to document the most important events in Napoleon's life. Albert Dieudonné delivers one of the most extraordinary portrayals in film history. He was Napoleon. His performance made me believe that he himself was Napoleon, and the rest of the cast doesn't fall short either. I want to mention each of them because they truly deserve it. I don't want them to be forgotten over time, as sadly, most of them are no longer with us. 
Thanks to the performances of:

Albert Dieudonné – Napoleon Bonaparte
Vladimir Roudenko – Young Napoleon
Gina Manès – Joséphine de Beauharnais
Jean-Bernard Roussel – François de La Rochefoucauld
Alexandre Kancewicz – Paul Barras
Édouard Delmont – Emmanuel de Grouchy
Jacques de Féraudy – Georges Danton
Gabriel Signoret – Murat
Louis Le Bargy – Fouché
Roland Toutain – Jérôme Bonaparte
Maurice Schutz – Napoleon Bonaparte (elderly)
Jean Toulout – Maréchal Ney
Jean Lemoine – Robespierre
Henri Debain – Cazotte
Roger Treville – Barras
Léon Barthélémy – General Hoche
Gérard Descourt – Charles de Bonaparte
Raymond Cordy – Lucien Bonaparte
Jean Dax – Napoleon at court
Robert Pizani – Jean Lannes
Léon Gaumont – Consul
Emile Drain – Grenadier
Max Linder – Extra (cameo)
Georges Lannes – Extra (soldier)
Gabrielle Dorziat – Extra (woman of the court)
René Navarre – Extra (revolutionary)
Charles Vanel – Extra (soldier)
Raymond Blanchard – Extra (soldier)
Henri Lavorel – Extra (officer)
Fernand Fabre – Extra (soldier)
Pierre Magnier – Extra (soldier)
Lucien Guy – Extra (soldier)
Georges Paulais – Extra (soldier)
Henri Rollan – Extra (revolutionary)

This film made me cry; few have achieved that, and for different reasons. This was due to how grand it is, how ambitious (thousands of extras at the hands of a single director—that’s my dream), and how beautiful the musical score is (one of my favorite soundtracks of all time). Another reason it caused this emotional reaction in me is because my grandfather is deeply connected to the two areas I mentioned earlier. The film gave me a profound sense of gratitude for my grandfather. I love him with all my heart, and I owe him everything I have. This review is dedicated to him, because without him, I wouldn’t be the same, and I probably wouldn’t be writing this right now.

Knowing that we as humans are capable of coming close to perfection makes me feel better and gives me hope that someday I will be close to it. Napoleon is one of the most magnificent things in human history; we used what God gave us to create this magnificent film. One of the best of all time and one of my favorites.

Thank you for reading, and may God bless you.

100/100

One of the best 75 films I’ve ever seen.**

Napoleon by Abel Gance is grand, monumental, and historical. It is magnificent, imposing, spectacular, outstanding, extraordinary, incredible, formidable, splendid, majestic, magnanimous, colossal, vibrant, dazzling, sublime, immense, unstoppable, radiant, impressive, phenomenal, overwhelming, overflowing, emotional, unique, legendary, transcendental, impactful, revolutionary, captivating, excessive, exceptional, unforgettable, breathtaking, immense, unequaled, advanced, moving, inspiring, fascinating, bold, gigantic, overwhelming, irreplaceable, timeless, alluring, powerful, majestic, deafening, brilliant, great, prodigious, immortal, sublime, wonderful.

Each of these terms reflects the magnitude and transcendence of this cinematic masterpiece.

The film's editing easily ranks among the top 3 best edits in film history. From the snow battle in the war games to the end, which I can't reveal much about. I'll only say that it is on the same level (or even more) than the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey. If Eisenstein created the montage, this film refines it to a point that transcends the celluloid. Abel Gance had planned six parts for Napoleon’s life, but tragically, he couldn’t make them, so we will always be left wondering what could have been the most epic saga in human history.

I am a film and history nerd, so this film is basically a mix of what I am most passionate about in the world. This review, therefore, is my nerdiest self to date.

Every scene is about 98% accurate. There were times when I felt like I was witnessing some kind of documentary because everything felt so genuine. It was as if Abel Gance had traveled back in time to document the most important events in Napoleon's life. Albert Dieudonné delivers one of the most extraordinary portrayals in film history. He was Napoleon. His performance made me believe that he himself was Napoleon, and the rest of the cast doesn't fall short either. I want to mention each of them because they truly deserve it. I don't want them to be forgotten over time, as sadly, most of them are no longer with us. 
Thanks to the performances of:

Albert Dieudonné – Napoleon Bonaparte
Vladimir Roudenko – Young Napoleon
Gina Manès – Joséphine de Beauharnais
Jean-Bernard Roussel – François de La Rochefoucauld
Alexandre Kancewicz – Paul Barras
Édouard Delmont – Emmanuel de Grouchy
Jacques de Féraudy – Georges Danton
Gabriel Signoret – Murat
Louis Le Bargy – Fouché
Roland Toutain – Jérôme Bonaparte
Maurice Schutz – Napoleon Bonaparte (elderly)
Jean Toulout – Maréchal Ney
Jean Lemoine – Robespierre
Henri Debain – Cazotte
Roger Treville – Barras
Léon Barthélémy – General Hoche
Gérard Descourt – Charles de Bonaparte
Raymond Cordy – Lucien Bonaparte
Jean Dax – Napoleon at court
Robert Pizani – Jean Lannes
Léon Gaumont – Consul
Emile Drain – Grenadier
Max Linder – Extra (cameo)
Georges Lannes – Extra (soldier)
Gabrielle Dorziat – Extra (woman of the court)
René Navarre – Extra (revolutionary)
Charles Vanel – Extra (soldier)
Raymond Blanchard – Extra (soldier)
Henri Lavorel – Extra (officer)
Fernand Fabre – Extra (soldier)
Pierre Magnier – Extra (soldier)
Lucien Guy – Extra (soldier)
Georges Paulais – Extra (soldier)
Henri Rollan – Extra (revolutionary)

This film made me cry; few have achieved that, and for different reasons. This was due to how grand it is, how ambitious (thousands of extras at the hands of a single director—that’s my dream), and how beautiful the musical score is (one of my favorite soundtracks of all time). Another reason it caused this emotional reaction in me is because my grandfather is deeply connected to the two areas I mentioned earlier. The film gave me a profound sense of gratitude for my grandfather. I love him with all my heart, and I owe him everything I have. This review is dedicated to him, because without him, I wouldn’t be the same, and I probably wouldn’t be writing this right now.

Knowing that we as humans are capable of coming close to perfection makes me feel better and gives me hope that someday I will be close to it. Napoleon is one of the most magnificent things in human history; we used what God gave us to create this magnificent film. One of the best of all time and one of my favorites.

Thank you for reading, and may God bless you.

100/100

This is the first time I’ve ever seen the 7 hour cut version of Abel Gance’s masterpiece that is Napoleon. The last time I watched this movie it was the 5 and a half hour long cut, and I had to break it up into three different pieces. For this cut I knew I had to watch the entire thing in one sitting. To call it a surreal experience is to downplay it, I have trouble finding the exact words to describe what I’m feeling. I remember getting tears of joy when I read that this movie was getting a new 7 hour cut, and every one of those tears were well spent because this was just as, if not better than what I had ever anticipated.

The cinematography and directing for this movie is just so incredible. And the quality of this 2024 cut of the movie is just mind boggling. As early on as the snowball fight I was completely dumbfounded by how marvelous this looked even though it was filmed almost 100 years ago by now. To bring it back to the cinematography, it was absolutely marvelous throughout the entire movie. The skill that Gance had to bring so much emotion into every scene even if there wasn’t a dialogue card present in certain scenes is just so skillful that I can’t even imagine how he managed. Of course the triptych scene is one of the best, but just before that when Napoleon visits the hall of congress at night and the previous figures of the revolution look down at him almost made me tear up.

Now, as good as this movie was, I do have to say that the 5 and a half hour version is still slightly better in my opinion. The first reason, which isn’t really that big of a deal is that I believe the triptych scene was better handled. It felt more like it was looking into the future, and the supremely powerful scene where the French flag is recreated was present for more of the scene than in this more recent cut. The second reason is however so much more important in my eyes is the music. I was terrified when getting into this cut because I had heard so many awful things about the music that I thought this masterpiece would truly be ruined for me. I am happy to say though, that even though the music isn’t terrible it is slightly meh. Certain choices make no logical sense, but others do kind of hold up? Yet nothing can even beat the truly magical and goosebump raising soundtrack that is the Carl Davis recording. I could feel myself anticipating his music in this version, and then feeling a pang of pain when it didn’t show up. I so wish that this (mostly) cinematically superior cut had the much superior Carl Davis music to accompany it, but I guess it would make for a movie that was just too good so it couldn’t happen.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen the 7 hour cut version of Abel Gance’s masterpiece that is Napoleon. The last time I watched this movie it was the 5 and a half hour long cut, and I had to break it up into three different pieces. For this cut I knew I had to watch the entire thing in one sitting. To call it a surreal experience is to downplay it, I have trouble finding the exact words to describe what I’m feeling. I remember getting tears of joy when I read that this movie was getting a new 7 hour cut, and every one of those tears were well spent because this was just as, if not better than what I had ever anticipated.

The cinematography and directing for this movie is just so incredible. And the quality of this 2024 cut of the movie is just mind boggling. As early on as the snowball fight I was completely dumbfounded by how marvelous this looked even though it was filmed almost 100 years ago by now. To bring it back to the cinematography, it was absolutely marvelous throughout the entire movie. The skill that Gance had to bring so much emotion into every scene even if there wasn’t a dialogue card present in certain scenes is just so skillful that I can’t even imagine how he managed. Of course the triptych scene is one of the best, but just before that when Napoleon visits the hall of congress at night and the previous figures of the revolution look down at him almost made me tear up.

Now, as good as this movie was, I do have to say that the 5 and a half hour version is still slightly better in my opinion. The first reason, which isn’t really that big of a deal is that I believe the triptych scene was better handled. It felt more like it was looking into the future, and the supremely powerful scene where the French flag is recreated was present for more of the scene than in this more recent cut. The second reason is however so much more important in my eyes is the music. I was terrified when getting into this cut because I had heard so many awful things about the music that I thought this masterpiece would truly be ruined for me. I am happy to say though, that even though the music isn’t terrible it is slightly meh. Certain choices make no logical sense, but others do kind of hold up? Yet nothing can even beat the truly magical and goosebump raising soundtrack that is the Carl Davis recording. I could feel myself anticipating his music in this version, and then feeling a pang of pain when it didn’t show up. I so wish that this (mostly) cinematically superior cut had the much superior Carl Davis music to accompany it, but I guess it would make for a movie that was just too good so it couldn’t happen.