Late in his career, after decades writing, directing, often starring in dozens of ‘boulevard’ dramedies, farce & sex balanced between witty & catty, the irrepressible Sacha Guitry developed an unlikely taste for the monumental. A two-fisted historical tour of Versailles & Paris (ROYAL AFFAIRS IN VERSAILLES/’54; IF PARIS WERE TOLD TO US/’56) and this three-hour All-Star spectacular on Napoleon Bonaparte. A strange choice for Guitry’s disruptive mirth, mocking absurdity and delight in tweaking the obvious proving a stretch for his humorless subject. And technically, his presentational, proscenium style inappropriate with battle scenes & exterior pomp handed off to assistants. Impressive, but jarring, as if another film had been spliced in. Yet, in its way, the waxworks are pretty entertaining, as Guitry rattles away, telling the tale in flashback as Talleyrand, setting up scenes & generously interpreting Bonaparte’s next outrage with a perfectly placed aperçu. (‘My friends, this was worse than a crime; it was a mistake!’) Now and then, the vast canvas suddenly looks like a real film as when a song longing for home, peace and a kiss from maman is passed between officers (including a glorious Yves Montand) in front of thousands of soldiers. A Cliff Notes of a pageant; a corny twilight Son et Lumiere show, with colored lights & echoing speakers; watched on a folding chair in front of Les Invalides. You go since it was included as part of a package deal and have a surprisingly good time.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: Out in various cuts for various markets, a Stateside edit of under 2 hours, attempting to sell the film on cameos by Erich Von Stroheim (as Beethoven!) and Orson Welles (as Napoleon’s final jailer) is a travesty.
DOUBLE-BILL: Abel Gance’s 1927 NAPOLEON remains untouchable on the subject, but only covers the first third of the story and loses much on a home screen.
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