HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Napoléon'' is a 1955 French
historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...
epic film Epic films have large scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle. The term is slightly ambiguous, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply big-budget films. Like epics in the classical literary sense, it is often focused on a her ...
written and directed by
Sacha Guitry Alexandre-Pierre Georges "Sacha" Guitry (; 21 February 188524 July 1957) was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the boulevard theatre (aesthetic), boulevard theatre. He was the son of a leading French ac ...
, which depicts major events in the life of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
( Daniel Gélin as a young man, Raymond Pellegrin in later life; the switch takes place during a scene at a barber). Guitry played the role of Talleyrand, controversial diplomat and first Prime Minister of France, narrating from a
drawing room A drawing room is a room in a house where visitors may be entertained, and an alternative name for a living room. The name is derived from the 16th-century terms withdrawing room and withdrawing chamber, which remained in use through the 17th ce ...
as if having just heard of Napoleon's death on the island of
Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...
in 1821. The cast also features
Yves Montand Ivo Livi (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand (), was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a ...
as Marshal Lefebvre, Maria Schell as
Marie-Louise of Austria Marie Louise (Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Franziska Theresia Josepha Lucia; 12 December 1791 – 17 December 1847) was Duke of Parma, Duchess of Parma from 11 April 1814 until her death in 1847. She was Napoleon's second wife and as such Empress o ...
,
Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim, ; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, screenwriter, actor, and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of ...
as
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
, and
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...
as Napoleon's British jailor, Sir Hudson Lowe. The English dub was made as part of the original production, but is significantly shorter than the French version.


Plot

The film follows the life of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
from his early life in
Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
to his death at
Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...
in May 1821. The film is notable for its use of
location shooting Location shooting is the shooting of a film or television production in a real-world setting rather than a sound stage or backlot. The location may be interior or exterior. When filmmaking professionals refer to shooting "on location", they are ...
for numerous scenes, especially at the French estates of Malmaison and
Fontainebleau Fontainebleau ( , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the Kilometre zero#France, centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a Subprefectures in Franc ...
, the
Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...
, and sites of Napoleonic battles including Austerlitz and Waterloo.


Cast


References


External links

* *
Capsule
at Fondation Napoléon 1955 films 1950s historical drama films 1950s biographical drama films French historical drama films French biographical drama films French epic films Italian historical drama films Films about Napoleon Cultural depictions of Robert Jenkinson, Earl of Liverpool Films directed by Sacha Guitry Films produced by Angelo Rizzoli Cultural depictions of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord Cultural depictions of Alexander I of Russia Cultural depictions of Joséphine de Beauharnais Cultural depictions of Klemens von Metternich Cultural depictions of Francis I of Austria Cultural depictions of Michel Ney Cultural depictions of Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma Cultural depictions of Pope Pius VII Depictions of Ludwig van Beethoven on film Cultural depictions of Louis XV 1955 drama films 1950s French films 1950s Italian films Cultural depictions of Louis XVIII Cultural depictions of Joachim Murat Films scored by Jean Françaix {{historic-film-stub