Danton

a very nice law movie

"One cannot in the nature of things expect a little tree that has been turned into a club to put forth leaves."

(...) Danton und Robespierre, sie stehen gegenüber, sie sind sich dessen bewusst, dass ihr intellektuelles Duell unter der Guillotine enden kann. Beide Schauspieler sind so grossartig, so umwerfend! Wajda hat ihre Rededuelle mit solcher Intensität gefilmt, dass Danton für mich der erste Historienfilm ist, in dem ich nicht Rednern von früher zuhöre, sondern echten Menschen!

I here I was, thinking it was a movie 'about a painter, or something'. At least I'm not ignorant about my ignorance. It's a nice looking historical drama about two key French revolution figures, Danton and Robespierre, and by the end of the film only one of them keeps the head on his shoulders. Both leads do a good job, Depardieu being especially charismatic. The film got a bit stuffy, and for my explosive mind a bit too anticlimactic in the end. Good, not great.

04.02.2015, Ev

"Danton's true achievement is as elaborate period pageantry." - Joseph Jon Lanthier

There's much to admire in the ideas it presents and much to disdain in the focus it puts on characters. The era was the real interest but we get only fleeting glimpses, a weak Depardieu performance, & strong end scene to round things out.

Literate, absorbing, knowing drama of Danton, Robespierre, and the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution. A brilliant film, with obvious parallels to contemporary political situation in Poland. Depardieu is magnificent in the title role.

Righteous movie about how the moderates tried to keep the country sane after the French Revolution and were subsequently eaten by Robespierre and the other radicals. Also profound testimony to how much more liberal the MPAA was back in the day; there's one scene at the end that you won't frigging believe is in a PG-rated movie

A great tool to learn more about the Reign of Terror, but only a fair movie taken on its own. Maybe less than fair, since I remember being bored near the end.