La commune (Paris, 1871)

20002000
5h 45m

IMDb RATING

8.0/10

1.2K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

55,387

2,581

Drama History War

In this war drama blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, the working class and the bourgeoisie of 19th century Paris are interviewed and covered on television, before and during... Read allIn this war drama blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, the working class and the bourgeoisie of 19th century Paris are interviewed and covered on television, before and during a tragic workers' class revolt.In this war drama blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, the working class and the bourgeoisie of 19th century Paris are interviewed and covered on television, before and during a tragic workers' class revolt.

IMDb RATING

8.0/10

1.2K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

55,387

2,581

Director
- Peter Watkins
Writers
- Agathe Bluysen
- Peter Watkins
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination

Photos18

Storyline

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Alternate versions
In December 2002 Peter Watkins started the editing of an abridged theatrical version. In a prologue he expresses his views on discovering that the production company, 13 Production, has financial links with the Lagardère Group (which sells Military Weapons through Matra), then he warns the audience about how much of the sequence shots and live debates from the original full-length movie have been lost in the process of reducing the running time by more than 2 hours to 3 hrs 1/2.

Connections
Featured in The Universal Clock: The Resistance of Peter Watkins (2001)

User reviews15

Review

Featured review

Astonishing and inspiring

Other viewers' comments (thus far) encapsulate most of my feelings about this amazing film (shot on high-quality B&W video, actually). I would add that La Commune divides naturally into two parts, and would be comparatively easy viewing on different nights. The most dramatic moments, obviously, are in the second half - not just the scenes of the Communards defending Paris, but seeing more of the actors commenting on the project, which is when Watkins' strategy of having them react "as" the people they are portraying rather than simply giving them lines to read, really pays off. Personally, I'm glad I was able to see the whole thing build up to those moments.

But however you decide to do it, see La Commune. It will move you and make you think about your (very real!) ability to be a political actor, to make a difference, to take control of your life, even in a terrible time like the present. To use a much overused word, it's empowering.

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