Starring Virginia Grey, Phillip Reed, Richard Denning, Barton MacLane, Dick Wessel
Directed by Jack Bernhard
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A scientist, who once sighted a giant dinosaur on an island, and his fiancee hire an unscrupulous captain to take them there, but only their guide, who knows the island's dangers, seems to care for the lady's safety.
Although the special effects are pretty primitive, this is the first film I can think of to feature dinosaurs played by men in rubber suits or others controlling puppets, instead of using footage of lizards projected to giant size, and deserves some credit for that reason, and some forgiveness of its failings. And when the tyrannosauri begin to stalk the human visitors to the island, although they don't have much mobility, their portrayers shake their heads and show off their sharp teeth in memorable closeups. Another strong asset is Richard Denning, the perfect hero for this type of picture, who talks plain sense and stands up to those willing to waste human lives in their expedition. The prime offender is MacLane as the immoral Captain Tarnowski, familiar for a long career playing tough guys on both sides of the law, who's eager to seize Grey for his vile purposes, and has a greed that will keep everyone on the island longer than they want to be. The independent film is lensed in CineColor, which I've found never looked all that great compared to more expensive processes, but it's nice to see Grey's long red hair shine, and a savage gorilla (per IMDB, played by suit actor Ray Corrigan) later in the film, with its own crimson sheen, definitely makes a colorful impact of its own.
Friday, July 24, 2020
Thursday, July 23, 2020
The Smiling Ghost (1941)
Starring Wayne Morris, Brenda Marshall, Alexis Smith, Alan Hale, Lee Patrick
Directed by Lewis Seiler
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A struggling chemical engineer is targeted by a wealthy family to become the latest fiancee of a beautiful debutante whose previous lovers have all been assaulted, supposedly by a ghostly figure.
I think there's a lot to enjoy in this mystery-comedy from Warner Brothers, which has a terrific opening title sequence, introducing us to the face of the "Smiling Ghost," complete with a spooky underscore. However, your tolerance for the film will likely depend on how much you can take of Willie Best again playing a stereotyped servant who is far too easily frightened. Wayne Morris, who impressed me in The Return Of Doctor X, plays another likable protagonist, who soon becomes the object of interest not only by Smith's wealthy heiress, but also Marshall's reporter, trying to get the scoop on all the murders. The ghost's creature makeup is more than effective, with a truly menacing grin, but don't be expecting too much in the way of horror, as the ghost is clearly never intended to be anything supernatural. I liked Alan Hale as a sort of hip for the times butler, who's soon packing heat to try and protect Morris, and The Mad Ghoul's David Bruce also appears as a previous victim of the Smiling Ghost, confined to an iron lung. I can't say all the comedy scenes work, but there's a few witty lines, and the cast is a nice ensemble with good chemistry together.
Directed by Lewis Seiler
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A struggling chemical engineer is targeted by a wealthy family to become the latest fiancee of a beautiful debutante whose previous lovers have all been assaulted, supposedly by a ghostly figure.
I think there's a lot to enjoy in this mystery-comedy from Warner Brothers, which has a terrific opening title sequence, introducing us to the face of the "Smiling Ghost," complete with a spooky underscore. However, your tolerance for the film will likely depend on how much you can take of Willie Best again playing a stereotyped servant who is far too easily frightened. Wayne Morris, who impressed me in The Return Of Doctor X, plays another likable protagonist, who soon becomes the object of interest not only by Smith's wealthy heiress, but also Marshall's reporter, trying to get the scoop on all the murders. The ghost's creature makeup is more than effective, with a truly menacing grin, but don't be expecting too much in the way of horror, as the ghost is clearly never intended to be anything supernatural. I liked Alan Hale as a sort of hip for the times butler, who's soon packing heat to try and protect Morris, and The Mad Ghoul's David Bruce also appears as a previous victim of the Smiling Ghost, confined to an iron lung. I can't say all the comedy scenes work, but there's a few witty lines, and the cast is a nice ensemble with good chemistry together.
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Two Lost Worlds (1950)
Starring Laura Elliott, James Arness, William Kennedy, Gloria Petroff, Pierre Watkin
Directed by Norman Dawn
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The first mate of an American clipper ship is dropped off in Queensland to recover from an injury, where he falls in love with the magistrate's daughter, and tries to help the people prepare for a pirate attack.
An early pre-Gunsmoke starring role for James Arness comes in in a pretty well done historical drama, with plenty of action scenes and some nice chemistry between Arness and Elliott (later to be billed as Kasey Rogers in her career). There's a love triangle, some western-flavor scenes on horses, and battles with pirates. However, the film's best known for its climactic scenes, in which a party of survivors are stranded on a volcanic island with giant lizards, courtesy of footage from One Million B.C. It's odd the filmmakers chose to go that way after staying within the realm of a period piece for the majority of the picture, but I love it that they chose the sci-fi angle, and probably wouldn't have paid much attention to the film without it. The actors are well-integrated into the footage and it adds some excitement that otherwise probably would have been lacking in a more pedestrian finale.
Directed by Norman Dawn
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The first mate of an American clipper ship is dropped off in Queensland to recover from an injury, where he falls in love with the magistrate's daughter, and tries to help the people prepare for a pirate attack.
An early pre-Gunsmoke starring role for James Arness comes in in a pretty well done historical drama, with plenty of action scenes and some nice chemistry between Arness and Elliott (later to be billed as Kasey Rogers in her career). There's a love triangle, some western-flavor scenes on horses, and battles with pirates. However, the film's best known for its climactic scenes, in which a party of survivors are stranded on a volcanic island with giant lizards, courtesy of footage from One Million B.C. It's odd the filmmakers chose to go that way after staying within the realm of a period piece for the majority of the picture, but I love it that they chose the sci-fi angle, and probably wouldn't have paid much attention to the film without it. The actors are well-integrated into the footage and it adds some excitement that otherwise probably would have been lacking in a more pedestrian finale.
Friday, July 17, 2020
The Night Has Eyes (1942)
Starring James Mason, Wilfrid Lawson, Mary Clare, Joyce Howard, Tucker McGuire
Directed by Leslie Arliss
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Two young teachers find themselves stranded at the home of a cruel composer on the Scottish moors, near where a friend of theirs had disappeared a year before.
I found this to be a very accomplished and gripping film, adapted by director Arliss from a novel by Alan Kennington. Mason, playing the uncouth and disturbed Stephen Deremid, is magnetic in his role, showing signs of a sinister persona, while also hiding something more noble within. Howard plays the quiet and mousy teacher who falls in love with him, while McGuire, her otherwise man-hungry and outspoken companion, keeps her distance. The film is very well photographed by Gunther Krampf, illustrating the dangers of the storm and perilous bogs they're surrounded by, and capturing Mason and Howard in memorable closeups as she tries to peer into his soul. There's some very suspenseful scenes offset by a number of comic relief sequences, but Arliss and his cast never lost my attention.
Directed by Leslie Arliss
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Two young teachers find themselves stranded at the home of a cruel composer on the Scottish moors, near where a friend of theirs had disappeared a year before.
I found this to be a very accomplished and gripping film, adapted by director Arliss from a novel by Alan Kennington. Mason, playing the uncouth and disturbed Stephen Deremid, is magnetic in his role, showing signs of a sinister persona, while also hiding something more noble within. Howard plays the quiet and mousy teacher who falls in love with him, while McGuire, her otherwise man-hungry and outspoken companion, keeps her distance. The film is very well photographed by Gunther Krampf, illustrating the dangers of the storm and perilous bogs they're surrounded by, and capturing Mason and Howard in memorable closeups as she tries to peer into his soul. There's some very suspenseful scenes offset by a number of comic relief sequences, but Arliss and his cast never lost my attention.
Thursday, July 16, 2020
The Vanishing Shadow (1934)
Starring Onslow Stevens, Ada Ince, Walter Miller, James Durkin, Richard Cramer
Directed by Lew Landers
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An electrical engineer recruits a noted scientist to help him develop a vanishing ray, while the longtime nemesis of his father tries to steal his stock in a local newspaper.
A Universal movie serial, and a very good one, with exceptional special effects, and some unique story and character ideas, I became very enamored of this production, as it's quite different from a lot of serial fare. Lew Landers, a year before the release of The Raven, is like on that film, credited as Louis Friedlander, and really does a fine job as director. Stevens and Ince are capable leads, Cramer is memorable as industrial Walter Miller's chief henchman, and Durkin, the scientist who assists Stevens, although noble for the most part, has the character flaw of wanting to kill all of Stevens' enemies with the dangerous devices he's invented. The devices are efficiently rendered by Universal's special effects department, who aren't credited, but IMDB identifies that Elmer A. Johnson and Raymond Lindsay worked on the effects, along with electrical gadgets provided by Kenneth Strickfaden. The "vanishing ray" device is especially memorable, surrounding the wearer in a dark shadow before fading them away into nothingness. Walter Miller, the film's villain, who also is secretly the father of Ince's character, who tries to get him to reform, isn't one of the great serial foes, and the serial would have been better enhanced by the presence of a music score, but for me this was a worthwhile find, on par with the better serials of the era.
Directed by Lew Landers
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An electrical engineer recruits a noted scientist to help him develop a vanishing ray, while the longtime nemesis of his father tries to steal his stock in a local newspaper.
A Universal movie serial, and a very good one, with exceptional special effects, and some unique story and character ideas, I became very enamored of this production, as it's quite different from a lot of serial fare. Lew Landers, a year before the release of The Raven, is like on that film, credited as Louis Friedlander, and really does a fine job as director. Stevens and Ince are capable leads, Cramer is memorable as industrial Walter Miller's chief henchman, and Durkin, the scientist who assists Stevens, although noble for the most part, has the character flaw of wanting to kill all of Stevens' enemies with the dangerous devices he's invented. The devices are efficiently rendered by Universal's special effects department, who aren't credited, but IMDB identifies that Elmer A. Johnson and Raymond Lindsay worked on the effects, along with electrical gadgets provided by Kenneth Strickfaden. The "vanishing ray" device is especially memorable, surrounding the wearer in a dark shadow before fading them away into nothingness. Walter Miller, the film's villain, who also is secretly the father of Ince's character, who tries to get him to reform, isn't one of the great serial foes, and the serial would have been better enhanced by the presence of a music score, but for me this was a worthwhile find, on par with the better serials of the era.
Sunday, July 12, 2020
Beginning Of The End (1957)
Starring Peter Graves, Peggie Castle, Morris Ankrum, Than Wyenn, Thomas B. Henry
Directed by Bert I. Gordon
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A reporter stumbles across the destruction of a town, and recruits a scientist from the Department of Agriculture to help her investigate, and they discover that locusts have grown into a deadly menace.
Bert I. Gordon follows the successful template set up by Them! to make his own giant 1950s bug film, using his familiar technique of enlarged rear projection to magnify grasshoppers in size, and integrate them with footage of his live actors. Where the film fails is his dependence on actual live grasshoppers to play the villains, as a full-size mockup or professional puppet, as in Them! or The Deadly Mantis could have greatly enhanced his insects' impact. Without that in place, the live creatures have no ability to react to the artillery the story throws at them, and the creatures scaling of a Chicago skyscraper is unfortunately rendered by filming the grasshoppers at normal size scaling a picture postcard of the building. However, kids of the era most likely didn't notice those details, and enjoyed the fun nature of the film, which despite the grim tone, is very enjoyable with a good amount of 1950s sci-fi atmosphere. Graves is very good as the stalwart scientist, with Castle also convincing as the photojournalist who's seen her share of horrors already. As always in these types of pictures, the casting of Ankrum and Henry as determined military men helps dismiss some of the disbelief that comes with cities in peril at the hands of giant grasshoppers, and Albert Glasser's boldly dramatic score aids in that department as well.
Directed by Bert I. Gordon
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A reporter stumbles across the destruction of a town, and recruits a scientist from the Department of Agriculture to help her investigate, and they discover that locusts have grown into a deadly menace.
Bert I. Gordon follows the successful template set up by Them! to make his own giant 1950s bug film, using his familiar technique of enlarged rear projection to magnify grasshoppers in size, and integrate them with footage of his live actors. Where the film fails is his dependence on actual live grasshoppers to play the villains, as a full-size mockup or professional puppet, as in Them! or The Deadly Mantis could have greatly enhanced his insects' impact. Without that in place, the live creatures have no ability to react to the artillery the story throws at them, and the creatures scaling of a Chicago skyscraper is unfortunately rendered by filming the grasshoppers at normal size scaling a picture postcard of the building. However, kids of the era most likely didn't notice those details, and enjoyed the fun nature of the film, which despite the grim tone, is very enjoyable with a good amount of 1950s sci-fi atmosphere. Graves is very good as the stalwart scientist, with Castle also convincing as the photojournalist who's seen her share of horrors already. As always in these types of pictures, the casting of Ankrum and Henry as determined military men helps dismiss some of the disbelief that comes with cities in peril at the hands of giant grasshoppers, and Albert Glasser's boldly dramatic score aids in that department as well.
Saturday, July 11, 2020
The Black Pit Of Dr. M (1959)
Starring Gaston Santos, Rafael Bertrand, Mapita Cortes, Carlos Ancira, Carolina Barret
Directed by Fernando Mendez
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A doctor at a sanitarium obtains a promise from a dying friend to show him the way to enter the land of the dead and return, but he has no idea how this will occur.
Another fine Mexican horror film from Mendez, this effort has some fine photography and a memorable music score, and a rather unique premise and story. The setting of the spooky sanitarium also allows for some menacing developments, with a homicidal patient who flies into rages when not comforted by the soothing melody of a musical box. Cortes, introduced in the story as the estranged daughter of the dying man who promised Bertrand the secrets of the afterlife, is very beautiful and provides the center of a love triangle when Bertrand becomes obsessed with her, and Santos also pursues her, both having mutually dreamed of the other. Also, key to the film is Ancira's orderly at the sanitarium, whose actions also weave into the themes of doomed fates in the narrative. This is a first-class production all the way, with Mendez committed to delivering a grim tale of the supernatural, with no hint of comic relief.
Directed by Fernando Mendez
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A doctor at a sanitarium obtains a promise from a dying friend to show him the way to enter the land of the dead and return, but he has no idea how this will occur.
Another fine Mexican horror film from Mendez, this effort has some fine photography and a memorable music score, and a rather unique premise and story. The setting of the spooky sanitarium also allows for some menacing developments, with a homicidal patient who flies into rages when not comforted by the soothing melody of a musical box. Cortes, introduced in the story as the estranged daughter of the dying man who promised Bertrand the secrets of the afterlife, is very beautiful and provides the center of a love triangle when Bertrand becomes obsessed with her, and Santos also pursues her, both having mutually dreamed of the other. Also, key to the film is Ancira's orderly at the sanitarium, whose actions also weave into the themes of doomed fates in the narrative. This is a first-class production all the way, with Mendez committed to delivering a grim tale of the supernatural, with no hint of comic relief.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
True Confession (1937)
Starring Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray, John Barrymore, Una Merkel, Porter Hall
Directed by Wesley Ruggles
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A struggling novelist tries to get a regular job, but in so doing, ends up accused of murder, and her propensity for telling white lies puts her on trial with her lawyer husband defending her.
My friend Dan Day Jr. calls this a really strange movie, with the entire cast trying a bit too hard to be funny. I'm forced to agree, as they're handcuffed by a script that isn't really amusing, especially when it delves into dark material. There's some talented actors and comedians in the cast, but MacMurray who when paired with Lombard before has had real chemistry and fine comic timing, is hardly allowed to crack a smile in the movie. Barrymore fares no better, playing an inebriated criminologist with a loose collection to the plot, who doesn't seem to fit into the story very well, and isn't given any particularly witty lines or comic bits, other than making silly noises with balloons. That's also the problem for Merkel, who despite a good part as Lombard's gal pal, doesn't get any good material she can work with. Lombard and MacMurray are still appealing leads, Edgar Kennedy gets to do a little of his slow burn act, and Porter Hall has some amusing moments as the over the top prosecuting attorney. However, some lighter subject matter and a funnier script would have better served the film's stars.
Directed by Wesley Ruggles
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A struggling novelist tries to get a regular job, but in so doing, ends up accused of murder, and her propensity for telling white lies puts her on trial with her lawyer husband defending her.
My friend Dan Day Jr. calls this a really strange movie, with the entire cast trying a bit too hard to be funny. I'm forced to agree, as they're handcuffed by a script that isn't really amusing, especially when it delves into dark material. There's some talented actors and comedians in the cast, but MacMurray who when paired with Lombard before has had real chemistry and fine comic timing, is hardly allowed to crack a smile in the movie. Barrymore fares no better, playing an inebriated criminologist with a loose collection to the plot, who doesn't seem to fit into the story very well, and isn't given any particularly witty lines or comic bits, other than making silly noises with balloons. That's also the problem for Merkel, who despite a good part as Lombard's gal pal, doesn't get any good material she can work with. Lombard and MacMurray are still appealing leads, Edgar Kennedy gets to do a little of his slow burn act, and Porter Hall has some amusing moments as the over the top prosecuting attorney. However, some lighter subject matter and a funnier script would have better served the film's stars.
Sunday, July 5, 2020
The Lodger (1944)
Starring Merle Oberon, George Sanders, Laird Cregar, Cedric Hardwicke, Sara Allgood
Directed by John Brahm
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
While the police search for the notorious Jack The Ripper, a middle-aged couple take in a mysterious new boarder, whom they soon begin to suspect might be the fiend himself.
Based on a novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, the second adaptation after a silent film by Alfred Hitchcock, this version has many merits, being wonderful to look at, and a terrific showcase for Cregar, with many fine character turns in the supporting cast. Lucien Ballard's cinematography is first-rate, using the convincing period sets as well as a generous serving of fog, and capturing the haunting wide-eyed stare of Cregar, never better than in the film's climax. Despite early contentions that Cregar's Mr. Slade is The Ripper, the script allows doubt to settle in in the mind of the audience, and Cregar is able to engender sympathy for his character with a soft-spoken and halting delivery of his dialogue, as well as exuding a convincing loneliness. Oberon, as Hardwick and Allgood's niece, is finely cast as well, with her beauty and vivacity a perfect contrast to Cregar's performance. Under Brahm's directorial hand, the film really succeeds, is well-paced and suspenseful, and climaxes in a memorable final sequence.
Directed by John Brahm
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
While the police search for the notorious Jack The Ripper, a middle-aged couple take in a mysterious new boarder, whom they soon begin to suspect might be the fiend himself.
Based on a novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, the second adaptation after a silent film by Alfred Hitchcock, this version has many merits, being wonderful to look at, and a terrific showcase for Cregar, with many fine character turns in the supporting cast. Lucien Ballard's cinematography is first-rate, using the convincing period sets as well as a generous serving of fog, and capturing the haunting wide-eyed stare of Cregar, never better than in the film's climax. Despite early contentions that Cregar's Mr. Slade is The Ripper, the script allows doubt to settle in in the mind of the audience, and Cregar is able to engender sympathy for his character with a soft-spoken and halting delivery of his dialogue, as well as exuding a convincing loneliness. Oberon, as Hardwick and Allgood's niece, is finely cast as well, with her beauty and vivacity a perfect contrast to Cregar's performance. Under Brahm's directorial hand, the film really succeeds, is well-paced and suspenseful, and climaxes in a memorable final sequence.
Saturday, July 4, 2020
Terror In The Haunted House (1958)
Starring Gerald Mohr, Cathy O'Donnell, William Ching, John Qualen, Barry Bernard
Directed by Harold Daniels
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A man takes his new bride, who's suffered from horrific nightmares of an old house, to a house that exactly resembles it, and she feels she will die if she tries to enter the attic.
This film is best known for its marketing gimmick of Psycho-Rama, a practice by which messages and images were inserted in between frames of the film, supposedly having the subliminal effect of causing the audience to scream. In reality they go by so fast, that it's doubtful they would even be detectable, even by the subconscious mind, but the element of fun is still there, and with today's DVD technology you can freeze frame them to see what they actually say. The movie however, a low budget small-scale psychological thriller, for me stands on its own without the gimmick. I really enjoy it, despite its cheap trappings, and feel it's cleverly written, by prolific television writer Robert C. Dennis. O'Donnell was a good choice for the haunted young bride, and I've always enjoyed Mohr's performances.
Directed by Harold Daniels
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A man takes his new bride, who's suffered from horrific nightmares of an old house, to a house that exactly resembles it, and she feels she will die if she tries to enter the attic.
This film is best known for its marketing gimmick of Psycho-Rama, a practice by which messages and images were inserted in between frames of the film, supposedly having the subliminal effect of causing the audience to scream. In reality they go by so fast, that it's doubtful they would even be detectable, even by the subconscious mind, but the element of fun is still there, and with today's DVD technology you can freeze frame them to see what they actually say. The movie however, a low budget small-scale psychological thriller, for me stands on its own without the gimmick. I really enjoy it, despite its cheap trappings, and feel it's cleverly written, by prolific television writer Robert C. Dennis. O'Donnell was a good choice for the haunted young bride, and I've always enjoyed Mohr's performances.
Friday, July 3, 2020
Napoleon (1927)
Starring Albert Dieudonne, Vladimir Roudenko, Edmond van Daele, Alexandre Koubitzky, Gina Manes
Directed by Abel Gance
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The story of the life and formative experiences of Napoleon I, the future emperor of France, is told, including his time at military school, his first battles as an artillery captain, and his romance of Josephine.
A very well-regarded silent epic from acclaimed filmmaker Gance, the film though it takes certain cinematic liberties with history, as all biopics do, is a testament to Gance's talent and an entertaining picture. Dieudonne cuts a classic figure as Napoleon, with a stoic expression and regal bearing that fits and enhances our image of the man. Gance, who scripted and edited the film as well, along with playing the part of Louis Saint-Just, places an emphasis not just on showing Napoleon's life, but also his place and time in history, chronicling the scope of the French Revolution and Reign of Terror. Van Daele is marvelous as the cunning but malevolent Robespierre, his face an expressionless mask under his powdered wig, as he comments on the political state of the nation and signs the orders that will send thousands to the guillotine. When the time comes for Napoleon's romantic pursuit of Josephine, and indeed she is portrayed as pursuing him as well, Manes is made up as a striking target, beautifully coiffed and costumed, and waving a fan at herself seductively as she stares into the eyes of the young general. The film's one extended battle sequence takes place in Napoleon's siege of Toulon during a powerful storm, in an attempt to turn back the British and other foreign interests from their control of that port. As he does throughout the film, Gance uses split screens and recomposed shots to show ghostly images of Dieudonne pervading the screen, to illustrate the breadth of his control of the battle. However the film's showpiece comes in its final act, as Gance composites three shots end to end in an early widescreen process to bring grandeur to Napoleon leading his troops on an Italian campaign. Sometimes the composite shots combine to form a single uninterrupted image, and sometimes Gance uses closeups in the center frame to capitalize on the intensity of Napoleon's drive, and his motivation of a starving army given an indomitable will by the General. As a complete piece of work, the film cuts short Napoleon's biography, not focusing on his rise to power as French emperor, nor his downfall at Waterloo and eventual exile. However, what Gance has captured is a tribute to the nationalistic spirit the man helped engender in the French, and a worthy tribute to one of the world's greatest strategists.
Directed by Abel Gance
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The story of the life and formative experiences of Napoleon I, the future emperor of France, is told, including his time at military school, his first battles as an artillery captain, and his romance of Josephine.
A very well-regarded silent epic from acclaimed filmmaker Gance, the film though it takes certain cinematic liberties with history, as all biopics do, is a testament to Gance's talent and an entertaining picture. Dieudonne cuts a classic figure as Napoleon, with a stoic expression and regal bearing that fits and enhances our image of the man. Gance, who scripted and edited the film as well, along with playing the part of Louis Saint-Just, places an emphasis not just on showing Napoleon's life, but also his place and time in history, chronicling the scope of the French Revolution and Reign of Terror. Van Daele is marvelous as the cunning but malevolent Robespierre, his face an expressionless mask under his powdered wig, as he comments on the political state of the nation and signs the orders that will send thousands to the guillotine. When the time comes for Napoleon's romantic pursuit of Josephine, and indeed she is portrayed as pursuing him as well, Manes is made up as a striking target, beautifully coiffed and costumed, and waving a fan at herself seductively as she stares into the eyes of the young general. The film's one extended battle sequence takes place in Napoleon's siege of Toulon during a powerful storm, in an attempt to turn back the British and other foreign interests from their control of that port. As he does throughout the film, Gance uses split screens and recomposed shots to show ghostly images of Dieudonne pervading the screen, to illustrate the breadth of his control of the battle. However the film's showpiece comes in its final act, as Gance composites three shots end to end in an early widescreen process to bring grandeur to Napoleon leading his troops on an Italian campaign. Sometimes the composite shots combine to form a single uninterrupted image, and sometimes Gance uses closeups in the center frame to capitalize on the intensity of Napoleon's drive, and his motivation of a starving army given an indomitable will by the General. As a complete piece of work, the film cuts short Napoleon's biography, not focusing on his rise to power as French emperor, nor his downfall at Waterloo and eventual exile. However, what Gance has captured is a tribute to the nationalistic spirit the man helped engender in the French, and a worthy tribute to one of the world's greatest strategists.
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