Napoléon

     The year was 1927 when a french film that would change the world of film making was released. Napoleon was a silent film that was directed, produced, and written by Abel Gance. In fact the title of the film was not simply Napoleon; it was actually Napoleon vu par Abel Gance. This translates to mean “Napoleon as seen by Abel Gance.” One of the premiere features of the film is the camera motion that is used though out the film. A moving camera was a big deal when this film was made because at the time most camera shots were static. As a result having a camera that actually moved during the filming of a scene was an amazing concept. This silent film became an inspiration to many film makers in the future because of the revolutionary concepts that it introduced.

     The film begins late in the 1700’s and concentrates on Napoleon’s early years growing up. It covers the years before Napoleon becomes famous and concludes with him leading the French Army in an attack against Italy. However, the film does not cover any of Napoleon’s later years for which he is most famous.

     The Producer of the film Abel Gance was born on October 25, 1989. He worked in most areas of the film production industry in france at some point. He worked as a producer, writer, actor, and director though out his career. The three films that he is well known for are J’accuse, La Roue, and Napoleon.