Napoléon (1955 film)

For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation).

Napoléon
Directed by	Sacha Guitry
Produced by	Clément Duhour
Written by	Sacha Guitry
Starring	Daniel Gélin Raymond Pellegrin Michèle Morgan Maria Schell Sacha Guitry
Music by	Jean Françaix
Cinematography	Pierre Montazel
Editing by	Raymond Lamy
Distributed by	Filmsonor Francinex Les Films C.L.M.
Release date(s)	March 25, 1955 (France)
Running time	182 min
Country	Italy / France
Language	French

Napoléon is a 1955 French historical epic film directed by Sacha Guitry that depicts major events in the life of Napoleon I of France.

The film is notable for its use of location shooting for numerous scenes, especially at the French estates of Malmaison and Fontainebleau, the Palace of Versailles, and sites of Napoleonic battles including Austerlitz and Waterloo.

Napoleon is played by two actors, Daniel Gélin as a young man and Raymond Pellegrin in later life; the switch takes place during a scene at a barber. Director/actor Guitry played the role of Talleyrand, controversial diplomat and first Prime Minister of France, narrating the story from a drawing room as if having just heard of Napoleon's death on the island of Saint Helena in 1821.

Yves Montand appears as Marshal Lefebvre and Maria Schell as Marie-Louise of Austria. The film also has cameo appearances by a number of notable actors, particularly Erich von Stroheim as Ludwig van Beethoven, and Orson Welles as Napoleon's British jailor, Sir Hudson Lowe.

The English version is a contemporary dub made as part of the original production, but does not run as long as the French version.

Principal cast

• Young Napoleon: Daniel Gélin
• Older Napoleon: Raymond Pellegrin
• Talleyrand: Sacha Guitry
• Joséphine de Beauharnais: Michèle Morgan
• Eléonore Denuelle: Danielle Darrieux
• Marie-Louise of Austria: Maria Schell
• Marshal Ney: Clément Duhour
• Joachim Murat: Henri Vidal
• Lucien Bonaparte: Serge Reggiani
• Montholon: Jean Marais
• Louis XVIII: Lucien Baroux
• Barras: Pierre Brasseur
• Geraud Duroc: Jean Chevrier
• Louis XV: Maurice Escande
• Cambronne: Noël Roquevert
• Lannes: Jean Gabin
• Lefebvre: Yves Montand
• Ludvig van Beethoven: Erich von Stroheim
• Hudson Lowe: Orson Welles
• Désirée Clary: Dany Robin
• Hortense de Beauharnais: Micheline Presle

Quotes

• Talleyrand: My Lord, I once made a vow never to betray you without informing you of it the day before. If Poland does not by your good agencies become independent...

Napoleon: What will happen? Tell me!

Talleyrand: It will be the beginning of the end.

External links

• Napoléon at the Internet Movie Database
• Napoléon is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
• Napoléon at AllRovi
• Capsule at Fondation Napoléon