Napoleon at HOME
Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
It’s a shame, but sometimes the films that benefit most from a theatrical screening don’t actually get shown very often. Lengthy cinephile holy grails such as Jacques Rivette’s sprawling thirteen-hour OUT 1, Bela Tarr’s seven-hour Satantango, or, indeed, Abel Gance’s 333-minute, epic silent film of the life of Napoleon, benefit hugely from the immersion that only a cinema can provide. This January, HOME are offering the chance to watch Gance’s Napoleon – a film described by Stanley Kubrick as “a masterpiece of cinematic invention” – exactly as it was meant to be seen.
On the surface, this is perhaps one for the more committed or adventurous cinema-goer. But, viewers willing to submit to Gance’s vision will find an entertaining, old-fashioned heroic depiction of Napoleon overcoming fierce rivals, deadly seas and political machinations in pursuit of his imperial destiny. A new BFI restoration showcases the films groundbreaking technical innovations, revealing a silent masterpiece of monstrous proportions.
Act running times:
Act 1: 1 hour 54 mins
Act 2: 1 hour 4 mins
Act 3: 1 hour 47 mins
Act 4: 47 mins
