Abel Gance's Napoleon: How Paintings Shaped Cinema's Revolutionary Icon
The 1927 silent film 'Napoleon,' directed by Abel Gance, utilizes allegorical art, notably Antoine-Jean Gros's 'Napoleon at the Bridge of Arcole' (1796), to craft a heroic portrayal of its main character. Gance selected Albert Dieudonné for his striking resemblance to Gros's idealized depiction. The storyline chronicles Napoleon's journey from his youth at Brienne military school to significant events like the Battle of Toulon (1793) and the Italian campaign (1796–97). Initially envisioned as a series, financial difficulties, including the bankruptcy of Wangeroff-Stinnes in June 1925, resulted in a single film, which debuted in Paris in 1927. In 1979, Kevin Brownlow restored the film, which draws parallels between Napoleon and Jean-Paul Marat, portrayed by Antonin Artaud, incorporating artistic references to both figures.
Key facts
- Abel Gance's 1927 film 'Napoleon' premiered in Paris.
- The film was originally planned as a six- to eight-part series.
- Production company Wangeroff-Stinnes went bankrupt in June 1925.
- Société Générale du Film was created to complete the project.
- The surviving version was restored by Kevin Brownlow in 1979.
- Albert Dieudonné played Napoleon, chosen for resemblance to Gros's painting.
- Antonin Artaud played Jean-Paul Marat.
- Marat's death scene quotes Jacques-Louis David's 'The Death of Marat' (1793).
Entities
Artists
- Abel Gance
- Antoine-Jean Gros
- Albert Dieudonné
- Antonin Artaud
- Jean-Paul Marat
- Maximilien de Robespierre
- Charlotte Corday
- Jacques-Louis David
- Kevin Brownlow
- Sabrina Crivelli
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- Louis Antoine de Saint-Just
Institutions
- Wangeroff-Stinnes
- Société Générale du Film
- Artribune
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Brienne
- Corsica
- Toulon
- Italy
- Saint Helena