Napoléon (1955 film)
Napoléon is a 1955 French historical epic film written and directed by Sacha Guitry, which depicts major events in the life of Napoleon (Daniel Gélin as a young man, Raymond Pellegrin in later life; the switch takes place during a scene at a barber).Guitry played the role of Talleyrand, controversial diplomat and first Prime Minister of France, narrating from a drawing room as if having just heard of Napoleon's death on the island of Saint Helena in 1821.The cast also features Yves Montand as Marshal Lefebvre, Maria Schell as Marie-Louise of Austria, Erich von Stroheim as Ludwig van Beethoven, and Orson Welles as Napoleon's British jailor, Sir Hudson Lowe.The English dub was made as part of the original production, but is significantly shorter than the French version.The film is notable for its use of location shooting for numerous scenes, especially at the French estates of Malmaison and Fontainebleau, the Palace of Versailles, and sites of Napoleonic battles including Austerlitz and Waterloo.