Please don't spend money on this.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

85 years ago was released a film that was visually outstanding and completely unbelievable and that film was Napoleon. This great spectacle was achieved by completely new camera techniques, color and really ambitious crowd scenes. The film was an instant masterpiece. This was proved when the film was restored in 1970s and the film was as good as it was 50 years earlier.I must say I saw that Napoleon had become a victim of the fang of time even though many people don't want to confess it. Bad picture quality and fastened scenes made this film a bit boring in some places (particularly Revolution scenes). Another thing that showed Napoleon's age was the music. The film had some five pieces that were repeated all over again. Even though they were pretty good, they began to test my nerves after 3 hours.Even then the weaver may see what he wants and if one concentrates enough these faults don't bother. At times I forgot the the outlook and just watched great art direction, acting and great story. The film offers a very deep look into Napoleon's early life, a period rarely talked today.Ironic as it is this film would be terrible if it was released today because it would be too talkative and slow. This is something why Gance's Napoleon is a good and very important film. It benefited the whole film industry by introducing technology that was superior even when compared to 50s. What I expected was a boring film that was too ambitious but it turned out that I was wrong. The film is extremely potent and should be more known. Because of a dated look and weak moments this film receives a score of seven.

The film begins from Napoleon's youth in school where he managed a snowball fight like a military campaign, to his victory in invading Italy in 1797. Planned to be the first of six movies about Napoleon Bonaparte, it was realised after the completion of the film that the costs involved would make this impossible.A cinematic epic, although brilliant in most particulars, it owes its greatest interest to its narrative sweep, its flair for composition and its use of triptych screens which at the end combine to show one giant picture, the clear precursor of Cinerama. In 1934 director Abel Gance cut his film to 140 minutes and added stereophonic sound.

Upon completing this film for the very first time, I had an experience I had never had before. I was breathless. For the first time, I can honestly say that a film took my breath away. The word "awesome" isn't awe-inspiring enough to describe how I felt. Every passing second of this nearly four hour long film brought new surprises and pulled my interest and attention closer and closer. I never wanted it to end. I'm sorry, but I just can't put into words exactly how I feel about this film. It's remarkable, groundbreaking, and the fastest four hours you're ever likely to spend watching a film. I watched it in one sitting, and it was over before I realized it.Okay, let me pause for a moment, catch my breath, and explain a little bit about the film itself.Originally, Abel Gance wanted to make a series of films about the French leader, but this is as far as he got. Therefore, the film mainly covers Napoleon's younger years, up to his first Italian campaign, just after his marriage to Josephine. What makes the film so groundbreaking is its many varied techniques, most of which are utilized today and taken for granted. For example, Gance used many different filming techniques, from hand-held cameras, to strapping the camera onto a horse, to hanging the camera on wires, to rapid-fire style editing, to overlapping images, and most famously, to the mind-blowing climax. Napoleon marks the first appearance of "widescreen". By setting three cameras side-by-side-by-side, Gance shot simultaneously, creating a 3.99:1 widescreen image. In original theatrical showings, the final 20 minutes of the film were projected on to three separate screens, expanding the image, and consuming the audience. As I said before, though, words can not do the film justice.So, do yourself a favor and buy a copy of this film. It's not easy to come by, but go on ebay, half.com, Amazon.com, or somewhere and buy a VHS or laserdisc of this film. It's an essential film for any film collection, especially for the film buff. The word "masterpiece" is just to puny a word.

This is a Great Film. I watched this when I was about 10 and together with Ivan the Terrible, it's just one of those magnificent, huge Films that has such scope to it and makes your spirits soar. Even if the man was a demented little dictator with no knowledge of Naval Strategy. I can't believe I still get emotional when I see the young Napoleon with his Eagle at the School, after he has been punished, his friend that comes to him, France IS CALLING HIM! I'm an Officer in the Royal Navy, I should pull myself together! Abel Ganz started strapping cameras to horses and throwing them off cliffs on ropes to get the shots he wanted, and this was when cameras were bloody expensive! Well done that man. No messing about, if he knew what image he wanted to see, he would do what was necessary to show it. And if he wanted you to see more then he would split the screen up and show you it! Amazing.Well, there you go. A brilliant film.