Robespierre is the obsessive authoritarian representing the polish communist party. Good acting, but some very poignant themes about legitimacy of government, power and freedoms. By concentrating on the dantonrobespierre conflict, danton skips over most of the usual epic crowd scenes but never seems compromised. Danton brilliantly illuminates one of the most fascinating periods of the french revolution those early months in 1794 when danton, having been in. This film is an international production effort between film companies in france, poland, and west. Like saturn, the revolution is devouring its childrenthe fury of the revolution unleashed obliterated its ideals. The film, a francopolish collaboration featuring a transnational and bilingual cast, focuses on the political elite of the french revolution in the spring of 1794. Danton s role in the onset of the revolution has been disputed. The best movies and tv seriesstandalones about the french revolution and napoleon, in the irrelevant estimation of theneoplatonist.
But when danton takes control of france and starts executing citizens in droves, robespierre feels it his duty to challenge his onetime comrade. A vivid portrayal of several of historys greatest revolutionaries. Conquest of paradise 1992, jefferson in paris 1995, the french revolution 1989, to kill a king 2003, cromwell 1970. The french revolution was a watershed event in modern european history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of napoleon bonaparte. Andrej wajda tackles the story of the last political battle between french revolution titans danton and robespierre in a persuasive and involving drama about government machinations to. Wajda had seen the postwar dream of political transformation in his native poland turn to ashes. He later became the first president of the committee of public. Danton synonyms, danton pronunciation, danton translation, english dictionary definition of danton. Danton played a crucial role in the french revolution before his guillotining by the state together with others who were equally instrumental in the revolution. The film tells upon the title role, danton gerard depardieu, confronting robespierre wojciech pszoniak during french revolution. The movie shows robespierre issuing sovietstyle instructions to an artist, insisting that a mural be altered because one of the revolutionary heroes it honors has already been executed as an enemy of the state.
By drawing parallels to polish solidarity, a movement that was being quashed by the government as the film went. Georges danton was a french revolutionary, known as one of the key figures who initiated the french revolution to overthrow the monarchist regime in the late 18th century. Danton 1982 the great polish director andrzej wajda had long wanted to turn the danton affair into a movie before finally doing so in 1983 with his film danton. Time was when the french revolution was considered a good. Although it describes events connected with the french revolution, danton has insights into politics, revolution, and the dangers of power that apply to all times. The french revolution as mirror of the past and the present. The recommendation service has sorted out realistic, serious, captivating, stylized, talky and humorous films and tv shows about with french revolution, revolution, society, guillotine, state affairs, death, love and romance, rebellion, politics and blood plots mostly in drama, history. Action opens in november of 1793, with danton returning to paris from his country retreat upon learning that the committee for public safety, under robespierres incitement, has begun a series of. Georges danton 17591794 one of the leading figures in the beginning of the french revolution and the first president of the committee of public safety committee of public safety c. Andrzej wajda draws a parallel between the tumult of the french revolution and contemporary crises in his native poland. Danton is a 1983 french language film depicting the last weeks of georges danton, one of the leaders of the french revolution. This film shows the last part of the french revolution and the last days of danton s life.
It had been intended as a collaboration between a largely polish cast and a french production company, gaumont, which, because of the sovietled coup in 1981, was forced to move its. It is an adaptation of the play the danton case by stanislawa przybyszewska the film stars gerard depardieu in the title role, with wojciech pszoniak as maximilien robespierre, and patrice chereau as camille desmoulins. French revolution, revolutionary movement that shook france between 1787 and 1799 and reached its first climax there in 1789hence the conventional term revolution of 1789, denoting the end of the ancien regime in france and serving also to distinguish that event from the later french revolutions of 1830 and 1848. Danton was one of the leadindg lights of this revolution and his execution was near the end of it. The problem of idealism and pragmatism in politics can be studied is its purest form by analysing the french revolution. It is an adaptation of stanislawa przybyszewskas play, the danton case, completed in 1929. Danton17591794 as lawyer participated in overthrowing of king louis xvi and the proclamation of the republic, being minister of justice in the convention 1792and founder of cordeliers. Danton has long been a staple of literature, he has featured in as many novels, poems and plays as robespierre himself, and the reason for this could be that he is one of the few figures of the french revolution who fulfill both the aesthetic, and especially romantic, ideal of the passionate revolutionary, the crusader for the people, and a.
A nice costumed historical study of the french revolution that plays too fast and loose with history for the means of contemporary propaganda. The film danton is about a revolutionary who objects to the course his revolution, the french revolution, has taken. Action opens in november of 1793, with danton returning to paris from his country retreat upon learning that the committee for public safety, under robespierres incitement, has begun a. Georges danton french revolutionary leader britannica. Due to lack of proper historic records, his exact role in the french revolution is. G rard depardieu and wojciech pszoniak star in andrzej wajda s powerful, intimate depiction of the ideological clash between the earthy, manofthepeople georges danton and icy jacobin extemist maximilien robespierre, both key figures of the french revolution. Danton 1983 andrzej wajda synopsis, characteristics. With gerard depardieu, wojciech pszoniak, anne alvaro, roland blanche. Wajdas danton, inside the french revolution the new. French revolutionary leader and jacobin who built a strong following among the popular classes of paris. The list contains the best, new and most relevant french revolution movies ordered by relevance. Danton finds itself comfortable at those two extremes and leaves the parts in the middle the facts, the issues, the minor personalities to the historians. The 1983 film danton actually came out of a project originating in the polish solidarity movement. It led both protagonists to their deaths on the guillotine.
The film is no traditional biopic, however, instead solely depicting dantons spectacular fallfrom. Favoring the system of a republic for the future of france, danton thought violence a necessary tool for achieving radical changes. In 1793, as the terror begins in france, georges danton, a champion. Watching the french revolutionary leaders sacrifice all of their ideals one by one as morality is sacrificed to machiavellian, cold calculation is a warning to all of us. Wajdas dark, complex vision of the french revolution is clearly articulated by danton during his trial. Danton, georges jacques article about danton, georges. A recreation of the time period of french growing pains with freedom and independence.
Danton is the romantic noble man of the people representing something of polish solidarity. He was one of the leaders in the french revolution. The celebrated polish filmmaker, andrzej wajda directs. Laffaire dantonsprawa dantona, andrzej wajda in collaboration with, agnieszka holland in collaboration with, boleslaw michalek in collaboration with, jacek gasiorowski in collaboration with actors.
When louis xvi summoned the etatsgeneraux, he unleashes a revolution that would change his country and cost his life. In 1982, legendary polish filmmaker andrzej wajda fled his homeland and relocated in france to direct this powerful story about the ethical boundaries of power and leadership, which had many parallels to polands volatile political situation in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Still, i found this film shows a time in history that keeps repeating itself in different places. The conflict between robespierre and danton is a battle of ideas, the manifestation of the clash of idealism and pragmatism which took murderous proportions. That was his debut in american film, but he is an awardwinning actor in french film. Georges danton was one of the foremost radical leaders during the french revolution. Georges danton, in full georgesjacques danton, born october 26, 1759, arcissuraube, francedied april 5, 1794, paris, french revolutionary leader and orator, often credited as the chief force in the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the first french republic september 21, 1792.
Danton brilliantly illuminates one of the most fascinating periods of the french revolution those early months. The film is based on real deeds, they are the following. Danton is played large, lusty and dissipated by the french actor gerard depardieu, while robespierre is portrayed by the polish actor wojciech pszoniak as pale, zealous and ascetic. The 1929 play by stanislawa przybyszewska was known for its fascinating look at the power dynamics between the two titans of the french revolution. Action opens in november of 1793, with danton returning to paris from. Wajdas intelligent and complex drama could be appreciated as a period piece about the french revolution as. This film was adapted from a play in poland called the danton case. A talented lawyer and spellbinding orator, danton contributed to the formation of the revolutionary tribunals and, in early 1794, fell victim to them. I dont know french, but even so, i was very impressed with his performance in danton, especially the courtroom speeches. Georges danton 17591794 was a revolutionary, politician and orator one of the towering figures of the french revolution. Whether or not these associations hold true are beside the point of the film. Wajdas film on danton angers the french left the new. Danton definition of danton by the free dictionary.
The two poles of the french revolution were the passionate idealism of the republic and the utter finality of the guillotine. In this 1983 production, danton is portrayed by gerard depardieu. However the filmaker took a lot of liberities with history. Remember him in the 1990 romantic comedy green card. In july 1794, three months after danton was guillotined, robespierre fell victim to the same modern.
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