La Roue: A Film By Abel Gance
270 min. / B&W / Tinted / Silent / 1:33:1 aspect ratio
© 2008 Film Preservation Associates, Inc.

Produced by Serge Bromberg, Eric Lange, Jeffery MasinoThis reconstruction of Abel Gance’s La Roue was completed by Eric Lange and David Shepard. La Roue was originally thirty-two reels long and was designed to be shown in three separate parts. It was subsequently reduced by Abel Gance to twelve reels, for projection in a single session; and was further cut to eight reels for foreign distribution and for a 1928 revival. The version presented here began with a 35mm master positive of a twelve-reel version, a 35mm Russian print of the eight-reel version, two incomplete tinted 35mm nitrate prints of a longer French version, and finally, for two short but critical scenes, a 4-reel abridged version released in France on 9.5mm as a home movie. The editing and digital restoration of this twenty-reel version, by far the most complete edition of La Roue seen anywhere since 1923, was carried out at Lobster Film Studios in Paris. For this edition of La Roue, Robert Israel composed, orchestrated and conducted a full symphonic score which was recorded in the Czech Republic.