Abel Gance's Napoleon is the best

I love the Abel Gance movie, but it is at times wildly innacurate. Albert Deudonne was certainly the spitting image of Baron Gros' paintings of young Bonaparte. Some of the scenes look like newsreel footage from the period. But it is heavily romanticised and even silly at times. A case in point: the charge is faltering at the battle of Toulon, and all the drummer boys have been killed. How to inspire the army? Like Manna from heaven, hail starts to fall and pound the drums and thus lead the men to victory!

This movie reminds me of David's painting of Bonaparte crossing the alps. In the painting, Bonaparte is resplendent in his Republic uniform as he calmy sits on a rearing white horse. In reality, Bonaparte either rode a mule or slid down the slopes on his rear. But the painting is true in that it supplies the audacity and heroism of the campaign. This painting, and Abel Gance's film pay tribute more to the legend of Napoleon than to strict fact. But it is certainly exciting to get caught up in the legend!