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Carl Davis
NAPOLEON
NAPOLEON is approx. 5½ hours, plus intermissions. There will be a 1½ hour break beginning at approximately 4:50pm. Part 2 will begin promptly at 6:30. The screening will end at approximately 9:30pm.
Recorded introduction by Kevin Brownlow, filmed especially for this series on October 20, 2025 at BFI Southbank, London.
France, 1927
Directed, Written, and Produced by Abel Gance
Starring Albert Dieudonné, Annabella, Antonin Artaud, Abel Gance
Recorded orchestral score by Carl Davis
Approx. 5½ hours, plus intermissions.
“Abel Gance’s heroic depiction of the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte is an undisputed cinema landmark. Famed for its groundbreaking technical innovations—including its famous triptych finale—and a running time of 5½ hours, Gance’s epic traverses many of the formative experiences that shaped Napoleon’s rapid advancement. Cool under pressure, Bonaparte overcomes fierce rivals, the deadly terror and political machinations to seal his imperial destiny. Monumental and visionary, the story’s chapters play out in exhilarating fashion tied together by an incredible feat of editing and technical ingenuity.” – BFI
U.S. premiere of the 2016 restoration by the BFI National Archive and Photoplay Productions. Restoration created by Kevin Brownlow.
Courtesy of Photoplay Productions.
Read Kevin Brownlow on NAPOLEON
Reviews
“An extraordinary masterwork.”
– Sight and Sound
“The last great silent epic.”
– Roger Ebert
“What Brownlow has assembled is magnificent. The film has all the romance and drama and passion anyone could want in a piece of entertainment.”
– Gene Siskel
“This magnificent piece of cinema history should be seen on the biggest screen possible.”
– The Guardian
“A masterpiece of cinematic invention.”
– Stanley Kubrick
“A genuine sensation.”
– Martin Scorsese