简介：GanceconceivedofhisfilmasthefirstofsixepisodeswhichweretocovertheentirebiographyofBonaparte.Thisplandidnotmaterialize,partlybecauseofthesheersizeoftheproject,partlybecauseofthecomingofsoundwhichrenderedthefirstinstallmentcommerciallyunsatisfactory.LupuPick'sNapoleonaufSt.Helena(NapoleononSt.Helena,1929)iswidelyconsideredtobethesixthepisodeofGance'sproject.Itmelodramaticallynarratesthelastyearsofthefallenemperorwhoturnsawayfromtheremainingfollowerswhoaccompaniedhimintoexilewhenheistoldthathisformerwifeisexpectingachildbyanotherman.Itiseasytoseethattheperspectivehaschanged:Gance'sfilmfocusedentirelyontheyounggeniuswho,withhisdomineering,hypnotizinggazealonecouldbringentirearmiesunderhisspell.Pickdealsonlywiththeagingemperor:'Nothingelse,onlythisgrowingold,thiswaitingfordeath,thisfadingawayinexile'asonereviewerremarked,whoatthesametimecharacterizedthefilmas'adocumentaryrendition[...]handeddownfromhistory.' ThisshortaccountofPick'sfilmindicatesthattheGermanapproachtothetopicwassomewhatdifferentfromtheFrench:itwasnotdesignedtoglorifythewarleaderbutrathertocreatean'objective'historicalversion,whichmeantthatthefilmicdevicesheemployedtendedtoplaydownthecontent.'Noetching-likeposes,nothrillingvisionsofwar,nofalselyimposedheroicepics'wroteHansSahl.ThefilmcriticoftheNeueBerlinerZeitungspokeofthe'impressiveness'Pickachievedbyavoidingpathosandheroicgestures:"Noreminiscencesonbattle,nomemoriesofapompouscourt.'RudolfArnheimpraiseditas'Clean,historicalpaintingwithoutnationalisticdistortion.…