Napoléon (1955 film)

For other uses, see Napoléon (1927 film).

Napoléon
Directed by	Sacha Guitry
Written by	Sacha Guitry
Produced by	Clément Duhour
Starring	Daniel Gélin Raymond Pellegrin Michèle Morgan Maria Schell Sacha Guitry
Cinematography	Pierre Montazel
Edited by	Raymond Lamy
Music by	Jean Françaix
Distributed by	Filmsonor Francinex Les Films C.L.M.
Release date	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 Napoleonic battles including Austerlitz and Waterloo.

Daniel Gélin plays Napoléon Bonaparte as a young general, while the older emperor Napoleon I is portrayed by Raymond Pellegrin. Guitry himself played Talleyrand, narrating the story from a drawing room as if just having heard of the death of Napoleon in 1821 on Saint Helena. Napoleon himself is played by two actors, Daniel Gélin as a young man and Raymond Pellegrin in later life; the wry, inevitable switch takes place during a scene at a barber.

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
• Hudson Lowe : Orson Welles
• Désirée Clary : Dany Robin

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 IMDb
• Napoléon at AllMovie
• Capsule at Fondation Napoléon