Don't like silent films? Too long for you? Uh huh. READ THIS . . .

I was privileged to see Napoléon in a theatre in Orange County in the 80's and I have to tell anyone who is dead certain that 5 hours of "sitting through a silent film" would be torture . . . observe:

I am a difficult customer for the silent film genre. In fact, there is exactly one other silent film I like, and it is the 1925 Harry Hoyt version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Lost World which is astonishing for both its technical accomplishment and its suspense. See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016039

The only reason I was in the audience for this one-time viewing (it embarrasses me to say) was because I was dating a film major at the time and trying to impress him; so imagine my approbation when the intermission came and I learned that 2½ hours had passed! I couldn't believe that 2½ hours had gone by, and so in thrall was I to the story that I refused to get out of my seat lest someone else take it! I sent him for popcorn vowing to defend our seats. I was so grateful to my date for gaining a rare ticket to this once-only arthouse viewing that I took him out to a lobster dinner! lol

There are silent films . . . and then there is Napoléon, which is a singular accomplishment not to be tarred with any genre brush imho (let alone Silent) because there is nothing to compare it with. Abel Gance's masterpiece achieves an urgency not even Metropolis could obtain, and I would delight in watching it without any sound whatsoever, that is how good it is.

I only have dial-up (so torrents and downloads are impossible for me) but if any of you have any non-streamed version of this ripped to Region 1 DVD, please PM me and I will gladly set up a trade (I have that remastered Harry Hoyt btw). Any version of Napoléon, so long as it has full menu navigation (necessary with a work of this length of running time). I don't care whose music accompanies the version, only that it isn't something streamed. Thanks guys!

Miss Chievous