New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-05

motion picture OF any well known
story liz always difficult one to produce
convincingly. Every one vino sees the
/ picture IL bound 10 have preconceived
ideas OF the why the various events
should look. Naturally. such ideas do not
often agree with what they see on the
screen. TO make his work convincing the
director must turn out scenes which are
20 excellent that the observer is made TO
forget his own IDEAS.
~ was such situation which confront
ed the producers Of "The Last One Hun
dred Days: or. The Second Rise and Fall
Of Napoleon" which IL now being shown
at the New York Theatre. In depicting
the hundreds OF events Of which there Is
no record other than o written dcscrp-
ton. vivid but sensible Imagination has
resulted IN commendable Offering. The
picture rises above the class Of mere
topographic spectacle and is real his
torcal pageant OF an unusually fine type
\ hint Of the spirit running through 4 Is
given In the opening scene. which shows A
great eagle standing on a cliff and just
about to INT its wings for flight. There is
a suggestion of a struggle against fearful
odds, OF the dying Of an empire which IS
so subtly wrought into the production that
it seems TO he always present To obtain
such An effect through the medium Of mo-
ton pictures is so remarkable that the
producer himself would probably be at 4
loss to explain how It was done.
AZ the story opens Napoleon is shown
stanJing on the rocky shore of Elba. AS
he saZes out across the sparkling sea he
broods over the past. and the most strlk-
ing events in his strange career are
flashed on the screen just as they flash
through the exiles mind. Then the scene
shifts and Napoleon is shown in the act
Of fleeing from tlba with his small fol-
lowing OF faithful soldiers. The landing
OF his little army Of less than 100 men IS
shown in several strikingly beautiful
scenes. His triumphal progress to Paris
Is also depicted. one of the few really
great representations which we have seen
in motion pictures is that by Hector MAJ
zanti. who plays the part of Napoleon.
He has an extraordinary physical resem-
blance to the Little Corporal as his
pictures show him.
In addition 10 this he exhibits during
the course of the pictures all OF those lit
tie personal peculiarities which his biog-
raphers have recorded, but which no actor
could show so well without combining
much study with natural talent. There
are times when the resemblance seems
uncanny to an observer who is familiar
with the intimate characteristics Of the
Emperor.
As the name implies. the film covers the
last one hundred days Of Napoleon as Z
ruler Thus it takes him from the return
from Elba TO his capture after the battl'
OF Waterloo The incident Of General Ger
, ards treachery is given considerable
Prominence There are several place
where the action is a little slow and wher
scenes could be made shorter. but the set
tings and effect are so excellent that thi
small amount of padding is easily par
/. doned. In fact, it is more than made NJ
for by the scenes showing the battle o
Waterloo. The picture is i'm six parts, bu
. Is run continuously. IL was imported b,
4. H. Woods 1t is such pictures as thi
that have given foreign film manufactur
, ers their enviable reputation as the max
erS OF really DlB thlhSS, anu IL "uS' ~
admitted that Judith OF Bethulia Is TN
| only American made production whlci
ranks with this one. But there is encour
agement in the existence OF Judith i
such picture has been made in thus
country it can be done again, and perhaps
our own manufacturers will soon be abl'
to compete with such a picture as "Ih'
| Last One Hundred Days