This epic biopic of Napoleon traverses many of the formative experiences that shaped the French leader’s rapid advancement: from his days in school to his flight from Corsica, as well as the French Revolution and the Terror, and culminating in his triumphant invasion of Italy in 1797.

Abel Gance’s immense biopic is as intimate as it is epic, amazing audiences for nearly a century. From the opening snowball fight displaying a young Napoleon’s strategic talent to the culminating three-camera triptych, the film is a feat of technical mastery that doesn’t lose sight of its subject.