Danton (1983)

In 1793, as the Terror begins in France, Georges Danton, a champion-of-the-people, returns to clash against Maximilien Robespierre and his extremist party.

Director:

Andrzej Wajda

Writers:

Jean-Claude Carrière (scenario), Stanislawa Przybyszewska (based on the play by: "L'Affaire Danton/Sprawa Dantona")

Stars:

Gérard Depardieu, Wojciech Pszoniak, Anne Alvaro

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gérard Depardieu	...	Danton
Wojciech Pszoniak	...	Robespierre
Anne Alvaro	...	Éléonore Duplay
Roland Blanche	...	Lacroix
Patrice Chéreau	...	Camille Desmoulins (as Patrice Chereau)
Emmanuelle Debever	...	Louison Danton
Krzysztof Globisz	...	Amar
Ronald Guttman	...	Herman
Gérard Hardy	...	Tallien
Tadeusz Huk	...	Couthon
Stéphane Jobert	...	Panis
Marian Kociniak	...	Lindet
Marek Kondrat	...	Barère de Vieuzac
Boguslaw Linda	...	Saint Just
Alain Macé	...	Héron (as Alain Mace)

Storyline

Action opens in November of 1793, with Danton returning to Paris from his country retreat upon learning that the Committee for Public Safety, under Robespierre's incitement, has begun a series of massive executions, The Terror. Confident in the people's support, Danton clashes with his former ally, but calculating Robespierre soon rounds up Danton and his followers, tries them before a revolutionary tribunal and dipatches them to the guillotine.

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Plot Keywords:

revolutionary | counter revolution | boy | beheading | 1790s | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

France Poland

Language:

French

Release Date:

12 January 1983 (France)

Also Known As:

Дантон

Filming Locations:

Jossigny, Seine-et-Marne, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont,TF1 Films Production,S.F.P.C.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The part of famous painter Jacques-Louis David is played by a real painter, Franciszek Starowieyski.

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Goofs

The position of the sketch artist in the window is inconsistent between shots.

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Quotes

Robespierre: I feel that everything I've lived for has collapsed forever.

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Connections

Version of Les amours sous la Révolution: La passion de Camille et Lucile Desmoulins (1978)

User Reviews

shattering political drama, and even more relevant now

The bloody aftermath of the French Revolution is brought to vivid life in the confrontation between its two architects, Maximillian Robespierre and Georges Danton, progressive thinkers in a primitive age who became bitter adversaries when Robespierre elevated the good of the State over the good of the people. Rarely have such provocative ideas been expressed with such bold, physical vitality; director Andrzej Wajda captures the anarchy of the period with powerful immediacy, showing how absolute power corrupts even the most honorable intentions. Gerard Depardieu's angry, overt performance in the title role is worth singling out; the film might well have been named after the doomed statesman Robespierre, who holds center stage throughout, but his icy intellect is no match, at least theatrically, for Danton's oratory passion (and besides, Depardieu is a star). Neither character survives the conflict, and when Danton is finally executed the bloody guillotine becomes symbolic not only of the Reign of Terror, but of the Revolution's most noble ideas severed at their source.