Napoleon Bonaparte (1935) Review - A beautiful, loud mess

If you have about three hours and a high tolerance for shaky sound, you might actually get something out of this. It’s for people who like to see how movies evolve, or in this case, how they get weirdly mutated by their own creators.

If you want a normal movie with a clear plot, go watch The Kennel Murder Case instead. This isn't that.

Abel Gance is a name that usually comes with a lot of heavy, academic baggage. But honestly? The guy just seems like a total madman with a camera.

He took his legendary silent film and decided it needed to talk. The problem is, the technology in 1935 wasn't quite ready for his ambition.

The first thing you’ll notice is the snowball fight. It’s early on, when Napoleon is just a kid at school.

The camera is flying everywhere. It feels like the cameraman was actually getting hit in the face with snow while filming.

But then the sound kicks in. It’s scratchy and loud and doesn't always match the movement of the kids' mouths.

It’s kind of like watching a memory that’s being shouted at you. ❄️

Albert Dieudonné plays Napoleon and he has these eyes that look like they could burn a hole through the screen. He doesn't really act with his voice as much as he acts with his entire face.

When he stares at the camera, you actually believe he could conquer Europe before lunch. It's a bit much, but it works for this kind of epic.

There are these new scenes Gance filmed specifically for this 1935 version. You can tell which ones they are because the lighting looks different and everyone looks a bit older.

It creates this weird jumping effect. One minute it's 1927, the next it's 1935, and the movie can't quite decide which one it wants to be.

I found myself getting distracted by the hats. There are so many huge, ridiculous hats in this movie. 🎩

The interior scenes are a bit of a slog compared to the outdoor stuff. People stand around in big rooms and talk about politics in a way that feels very stiff.

It’s a huge contrast to the scenes where the camera is literally swinging from the ceiling. Gance loved his camera tricks, maybe a little too much.

There’s a sequence in the National Convention that is just pure chaos. The camera moves like it’s on a rollercoaster, and with the added sound, it’s actually pretty overwhelming.

I had to turn my volume down twice. The shouting is very... French. 🇫🇷

The music is another thing. It’s constant and heavy and tries to tell you exactly how to feel every single second.

Sometimes I just wanted a moment of actual silence. But Gance was too excited about his new sound toys to give us that.

Compared to something like Our Hospitality, which uses its space so cleanly, this feels cluttered. It’s like a room full of beautiful furniture that’s been shoved into a tiny closet.

I noticed a small detail during the campfire scenes. The shadows are huge and they dance on the walls in a way that looks almost like a horror movie.

It makes Napoleon look less like a hero and more like a ghost. I don't know if that was intentional, but it was the most interesting part of the middle hour.

The editing is fast. Like, modern action movie fast.

It’s hard to believe this was made so long ago when you see how many cuts there are in a single minute. It makes your brain hurt a little if you aren't prepared.

There is a scene where Napoleon is looking at a map and it’s overlaid with shots of the sea. It’s very dramatic and very 1920s, even with the 1930s sound dubbed over it.

It’s these moments of visual poetry that keep you watching. Even when the dialogue is boring or the sound is popping like popcorn.

I think I missed some of the plot because I was too busy looking at the background extras. Some of them look like they have no idea what’s going on.

One guy in the back of a crowd shot just looks bored. I felt for him during the longer speeches.

The movie is basically a giant ego trip for both Napoleon and Gance. It’s huge, it’s loud, and it doesn't care if you're tired.

Is it a masterpiece? The original silent one probably is. This version is more like a weird experiment that didn't quite work but is still cool to look at.

It’s definitely better than some of the boring stuff from the same era, like maybe Fighting Destiny. At least Gance was trying something new.

By the end, I felt like I had actually been through a war. Not because of the violence, but because of the sensory overload.

If you see it, watch it on the biggest screen you can find. And maybe keep a pillow nearby for the slower parts in the middle.

It's not a perfect film, but it's a big one. And sometimes, big is enough to be worth your time. 🍿

Just don't expect the sound to make much sense. It’s better if you just let it wash over you like a noisy wave.