Cannes Film Festival 2024: the restored cut of the Napoleonic silent film by Abel Gance will be screened in the Cannes Classics category

The 7-hour silent epic historical film Napoleon (1927) by French director Abel Gance will be screened as the opening of the Cannes Classics category at the 77th Cannes Film Festival 2024, along with its restored 16-year-old version. The film will finally make its world premiere on May 14 at the festival.

Furthermore, the official website of the Cannes Film Festival recently revealed that the restoration of the masterpiece of cinema pioneer Abel Gance had lasted sixteen years. Here’s what we know about this epic project.

Napoléon by Abel Gance will be screened in the Cannes Classics 2024 category

In its press release, the Cannes Film Festival indicated that director and film restoration expert Georges Mourier and his team worked closely together, enabling the re-release of the 7-hour silent epic historical film directed by Abel Gance, Napoléon, in its original version. version.

They further confirmed that the film will be screened with its restored 16-year-old version. The film is in two parts, with the first part lasting 3 hours and 40 minutes debuting in the Cannes Classic category and as the opening film of the 77th Cannes Film Festival 2024.

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Additionally, they explained how Mourier and his team worked frame by frame, revealing: “Various sources were used to rediscover the original script for this extraordinary reconstruction of the 7-hour film, divided into two eras. »

The press release continued: “Reels were found at the Cinémathèque française, the CNC, the Cinémathèque de Toulouse and the Cinémathèque de Corse, as well as in Denmark, Serbia, Italy, Luxembourg and New York. Georges Mourier and his team worked frame by frame and viewed nearly 100 kilometers of film. The editing notes and correspondence between director Abel Gance and his editor, found at the BNF, made it possible to re-edit the film in the original version.”

Georges Mourier on the restored version of Napoleon’s 16th birthday

George Mourier previously described the process of restoring the original film version of Abel Gance’s Napoleon. He explained the process to AFP according to France24: “We didn’t just sew pieces together, we laced them.” Mourier further emphasized, “Each sequence was a cinematic revolution. »

According to the outlet, Mourier also explained how the entire team behind this monumental project went to great lengths to restore legendary French director Gance’s original version, stating: “One thing is for sure: audiences will never have the any idea of ​​how far we’ve come with this.”