Edna Purviance's bio

June 6, 2018 - Re-editing Edna Purviance's family biography 2nd Draft. Photo: Leading Ladies © used by ednapurviance.org

Monday, September 23, 2013

Rarely screened NAPOLEON

If you haven't gotten your tickets to see NAPOLEON, there is only a few seats left for the November 30th, 2013 showing at the Royal Festival Hall (few box and balcony seats left). Unlike in Oakland, where there were four showings of the film, only one showing is currently on schedule for the London presentation.

NAPOLEON has only shown on the big screen, in it's restored form, a handful of times. This is the third time it will be presented at the Royal Festival Hall in thirteen years. It's also been shown in two versions, Kevin Brownlow's restored version, with the music of Carl Davis, and a shorter film version with the score by Carmine Coppola.

Without getting into the legal battles over the film, the main thing, the only way to see Brownlow's complete film, is at these rare screens, like last year in Oakland and this November in London. It's very expensive to show this film with a live orchestra, and to set up the special screens, with projectors, for the Triptych (three scenes at once, on three different screens).

While there is a shorter Francis Ford Coppola version available on DVD, the Brownlow's version, with Carl Davis score is not available on disc. And it may never be in the near or far future, due to the legal copyright situation. But at least, for those who can, these rare live music viewing do give fans a chance to see it.

Meanwhile, here is a taste of a live screening with the Coppola version in Rome.




And, if you missed this earlier, here is Kevin Brownlow's talking about Abel Gance from the early 1980s (?).

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