we see him changes. He is a constant force moving towards his destiny. In the first scene of the movie he dominates a snowball fight against schoolmates with an innate determination and sense of military strategy. The screen becomes a flurry of activity as Napoleon, from a fixed point in the center of the picture, can already see what to do. In a classroom geography lesson about the islands of the world, Napoleon writes down on the last page of his exercise book — “Saint Helena, a small island.” This is not so much foresight as the ability to comprehend his whole life at once. Napoleon's pet eagle, later the symbol of the Imperial French Empire, is already on the wing watching over him. Once Gance conceived his vision of Napoleon, his “first quest was for a cinematic style capable of fulfilling my vision.” To capture Napoleon’s dynamism he utilized an impressionistic approach. Gance made innovative use of close-ups, particularly of the pock-marked decadent-looking Robespierre (Edmond Van Draele), but he is not focusing on the human emotion or striving for a psychological intimacy, he is shooting, instead, for the emotion of the moment as it relates to Napoleon’s progress. Unlike his contemporary, Carl Dreyer (The Passion of Joan of Arc), who used close-ups to emphasize a sense of individual moral choice in the course of history, Gance does it to involve the audience in the flow of events. Characters act, they don’t examine. The important thing for Gance was to keep things moving and give the audience a sense of what it was like to live inside the frenzy of activity that was France just before 1800. Napoleon has little regard for the politicking of Robespierre and Danton and patiently watches and waits his turn. Albert DieudonnS as Napoleon is wonderful to observe as he casts a cold eye on all pretenders to the throne of France. He suggests aloof omnipotence over the world’s affairs by acting almost entirely with his eyes while using his body to communicate a stiff detachment from personal involvement. His first meeting with Josephine is entirely rigid and he always seems comically uncomfortable with personal contact. Vi r s e u s a o ll u y r , c G ef a u n l ce in w as s w tr e e e m p e in n g d out s hl e y viewer away in the flow of pictures. He had experimented earlier with fast editing techniques which he extended even further here. A pillow fight in the young Napoleon’s dormitory becomes a rapid succession of single-frame images super-imposed over the ever watchful Napoleon, as if he were projecting the images with the power of his own imagination. To suggest the dynamism of Napoleon moving towards his destiny, Gance made the camera move too. Fleeing Corsica with the English in pursuit, Gance strapped the camera to a horse to film the chase. When Napoleon barely escapes in a dinghy, Gance holds the camera at water level and rocks it furiously. For even greater depth, he throws in some clever cross-cutting between Napoleon adrift and the Convention in Paris, adrift in its own way. The images have a cumulative effect and later when Napoleon returns to the empty Convention hall, he sees the ghosts of Danton, Robespierre and Marat (Antonin Artaud) reminding him of his role in the Revolution. Gance himself as Saint-Just, chief execu- “1 am the revolution,” he says before he has even won a single battle. Napoleon is like an arrow let fly and propelled through space at a target we see a mile off. tioner for the Reign of Terror, cautions Napoleon to remember his debt to the ideals of the Revolution. This is clearly Napoleon according to Abel Gance, as the General sees himself as the positive result of the Revolution. Gance neglects the reactionary aspects of the neo-monarchy NapoEverywhere Gance gives us striking images: a hand sinking beneath the mud after a battle scene, a severed head on a spike passing in front of Napoleon’s window, the English fleet on fire in Toulon harbor. leon created. Gance stages all events with Napoleon at the center and is particularly impressive in his handling of crowd scenes. When Rouget De Lisle presents “La Marsellaise” to the people at the Club des Cordeliers and they sing it for the first time, we feel that we are witness to a privileged moment in history. The camera literally jumps from face to face, assigning each individual his part in the larger drama. The light pouring in through the window is a sign of the divine correctness of the moment. Napoleon, naturally, is present and congratulates the author on the anthem as if it had been written for him. Everywhere Gance gives us striking images: a hand sinking beneath the mud after a battle scene, a severed head on a spike passing in front of Napoleon’s window, the English fleet on fire in Toulon harbor. Probably no director has ever been more conscious of composition. In the second half of the film, as Napoleon approaches his fate as ruler of France, he gains momentum as a character because of the events we have witnessed. His relationship with Josephine expands his character over greater territory. His obsession with her becomes incorporated into his larger battle plan. On the Italian campaign, where the film ends, the face of Josephine superimposed over marching soldiers is another image of Napoleon’s private life merging with his divine destiny. For the final realization of his vision Gance devised Polyvision. (He had actually used it several other times in the original version, but that footage has been lost). The triptych contains the totality of Gance’s vision, as Napoleon looks out across Italy and the forces he commands. The succession of images celebrates his arrival at the summit. As Napoleon literally rides through his troops, he sees “the richest and strongest torrent of human power ever unleashed in history.” Or in cinema. Napoleon is proof of the power of the imagination to transform history into art. ■ Tenzing Morpo It’s an herbal Haven; an aromatic paradise with the largest selection of flowers, roots, barks, leaves... herbs in the Northwest. Tenzing Mon;© Come treat your nose to the fragrant potpourris we’ve prepared in readiness for this season coming. You still have time to gather your herbs and flowers here and make your own. We’ll help you. IB =4°l IB © [ofc Tenzing M©n;© We’re proud to offer several new lines of cosmetics, tinctures, extracts, and over sixty pure and exotic perfume oils. Tenzing Mon;© Clip this coupon for 10% off on a potpourri of your choice. 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