Directed by:
Andrzej WajdaCinematography:
Igor LutherComposer:
Jean ProdromidèsCast:
Gérard Depardieu, Wojciech Pszoniak, Anne Alvaro, Roland Blanche, Patrice Chéreau, Emmanuelle Debever, Krzysztof Globisz, Ronald Guttman, Tadeusz Huk (more)Plots(1)
Gérard Depardieu stars as Danton, who has retired to his country estate after having been supplanted as head of the Committee for Public Safety by Robespierre (Wojciech Psoniak). But with the commencement of the Reign of Terror, Danton returns to Paris in November 1793 in the hope that he can stem the tide of bloodshed unleashed by his former ally. Confident that his rhetorical skills and the high esteem in which he is held by the French people will cause them to rise up against the brutal ruling regime, Danton is stunned to find them pauperized by the recent war with Austria and cowed by the ubiquity of Robespierre's minions. Behind closed doors, Danton's attempts to act as a mediator between warring factions are met with cold indifference by the rigidly obsessive Robespierre. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
The same theater play was used in Hungary for the television film A Danton-ügy (1978). Now Wajda focused on two great acting solos by Gérard Depardieu and Wojciech Pszoniak to convey the critical events in the 2nd year of the young revolutionary French Republic. He uncovered the mechanism that led to the destruction of one of the darlings of the people, the founders of the revolution itself. The only thing lacking is a definitive end to the life of Robespierre, who was encountered during the Thermidorian Reaction. But Wajda doesn't bother with this and as an artistic device he chooses to frame the Danton case through the memorization of the articles of the new constitution by an unsuspecting child. It's chilling how quickly those ideals took hold.
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Gerard Depardieu at his best, as a grizzled revolutionary, is simply fantastic. If you don't like political dramas with a lot of conversation, Danton might not be for you. The rest of us will appreciate an interesting behind-the-scenes look at an important stage in French history, when the revolution began to devour its children and the main leaders of the movement were gradually guillotined through political intrigue. A very enlightening watch that makes you realise that people don't change and politicking and dirty tricks are immortal.
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