Napoléon (1955)
- Starring:
- Raymond Pellegrin, Daniel Gélin, (more)
- Director(s):
- Sacha Guitry
- Format(s):
- DVD
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Synopsis of Napoléon
Showing no signs of slowing down in his 70th year, Sacha Guitry served as director and writer of the lavish historical epic Napoleon, and also costarred as Talleyrand. It is now hard to assess the quality of the film, since most American prints are severely edited, and the color photography appallingly washed out. Reviewers in 1955 admired the effort that went into this $1,800,000 production, but complained that the viewer left the film with no deeper understanding of Napoleon Bonaparte than the viewer had had when coming in. Daniel Gelin poses impressively as the young Bonaparte, registering emotion only when things go wrong in his conquest of Europe, while Raymond Pellegrin is somewhat better as the older, more jaded Napoleon (the transition between the two actors is handled in a near-comic fashion). The Revolution is reduced to a few fleeting scenes, while the rest of the film is devoted to political infighting and betrayal. The huge supporting cast includes Michele Morgan as Josephine and Lana Marconi and Dany Robin, respectively, as Napoleon's mistresses Waleska and Desiree. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 129 mins
Complete Cast of Napoléon
- Raymond Pellegrin - Napoleon
- Sacha Guitry - Talleyrand
- Michèle Morgan - Josephine de Beauharnais
- Danielle Darrieux - Eleonore Denuelle
- Maria Schell - Marie-Louis d'Autriche
- O.W. Fischer - Metternich
- Maurice Teynac - Las Cases
- Dany Robin - Desiree Clary
- Patachou - Mme. Sans-Gene
- Armand Mestral - Marshal Oudinot
- Madeleine Le Beau - Emilie Pellapra
- Luis Mariano - The Singer Garat
- Jean Chevrier - Gen. Duroc
- Clement Duhour - Marshal Ney
- Jacques Dumesnil - Bernadotte
- Gianna Maria Canale - Pauline Borghese
- Louis de Funès
- Daniel Gélin - Bonaparte
- Jean-Pierre Aumont - Renault de Saint-Jean d'Angely
- Henri Vidal - Murat
- Orson Welles - Hudson Lowe
- Micheline Presle - Hortense de Beauharnais
- Cosetta Greco - Elisa Bacchiochi
- Noël Roquevert - Gen. Cambronne
- Roger Pigaut - Caulaincourt
- Yves Montand - Marshal Lefebvre
- Jean Marais - Count de Montholon
- Lana Marconi - Marie Walewska
- Jeanne Boitel - Mme. de Dino
- Erich Von Stroheim - Ludwig van Beethoven
- Jean Gabin - Marshal Lannes
- Pierre Brasseur - Barras
- Eleonora Rossi-Drago - Mme. Foures
- Pauline Carton - Innkeeper
- Director(s):
- Sacha Guitry
- Writer(s):
- Sacha Guitry
- Producer(s):
- Clement Duhour
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