La révolution française

La Revolution Francaise is not a Great Movie, but is very interesting historically speaking. It shows the spectator the most important aspects of the french revolution, without forgetting one. The actors are good, Danton, Desmoulins, Robespierre, Marat, all these great historical characters are good played by Brandauer, Cluzet etc... So I advice to see this movie, which is more pleasant than an history lesson in school! And the music, epic, is a good point for the movie!

It took me over 2 years to actually find this movie (well, they're two parts actually) on tape and it was definitely worth it. I'd seen it on TV when travelling in Europe but remembered it only vaguely...all I knew was that it impressed me tremendously.

OK, so the first part, "Les annees lumieres", focuses more on the privileged classes during the Revolution and how 1789 comes to be...LaFayette, Mirabeau, and so on. Most importantly, we get acquainted with our three "protagonists" of sorts -- Danton, Robespierre, and Desmoulins.

The yummy parts are actually in the second part called "Les Annees Terribles". Here Heffron masterfully focuses on the triumvirate of power centered around the main characters and how their ideologies distance them from one another. I don't want to get into too much detail, but the dynamics (especially between Danton and Robespierre) are not only cinematically superb but also historically accurate. It should be noted that this isn't some boring historical costume soap-opera...

What makes this film (especially the second part) so memorable and vivid in my eyes are the performances. First, German film legend Klaus-Maria Brandauer portrays Danton in a complex and yet very charming manner. He's masculine, powerful, but also tender. This multidimensional portrayal of Danton is something Gerard Depardieu lacked in "Danton", but I'll forgive him. Second, Francois Cluzet does a great job with Camille Desmoulins. He just needs a hug. Lastly, the best performance in the entire film came from the incomparable Andrzej Seweryn as Robespierre. It was a refreshing take on someone usually shown as a bloodthirsty, asexual tyrant. Seweryn delicately balances Robespierre's almost naive yet uncompromising belief in "virtue" with his empty personal life. Here the man behind the Reign of Terror is just that: a man. A man who is conflicted between personal ties and what he believes is best for the people. And when these three excellent performances are meshed together with a great script, we get the best movie on the period ever. If you can find it, definitely see it, c'est le meilleur. Vive la revolution!

**UPDATE** I'VE BEEN GETTING TONS OF EMAILS ON WHERE TO BUY THIS IN THE USA. THE ONLY PLACE IS 'VERSION FRANCAISE', BASED IN BETHESDA, MD. Their website is "www.francevision.com" and they have it (still only) in VHS.

Hope this helps!!

Let me say first that there is no "official" version of this film with English subtitles. I got creative and indeed found the French language version with English subtitles. It was well worth the effort. This is a story of the French Revolution, and it shows how ordinary and historically well-known individuals were affected by the turn of events. The characters of those individuals are well-acted, not overly-melodramatic. I would say that the acting was toned down a bit and displayed basically how you would expect people to react under the similar situations. There was none of the "Ah, tis a far, far better thing I do, ..." histrionics or gesturing, as if the characters were speaking for history. Of all the FR pictures I have seen, the movie depicts the great chaos and energy the Revolution triggered. It is historically accurate, but it avoids the sterile type of presentation found in other docu-dramas or documentaries and has the unusual ability to grab your attention, even for its five and a half hour length.

This is absolutely the best film on French revolution, and maybe on any revolution. Unfortunately, it is very hard to find, very very hard. I have been trying for years. A must. Brandauer is absolutely believable and stunning. He is my favorite actor anyway and he is, by far, the best Danton, although I do love Depardieu's performance. I saw this film ten years ago in France and still cannot forget it. Since then I have been trying to purchase it for my classes and for my students and have been unsuccessful so far. They keep it like a big secret. I never understood why. Maybe because the revolution was shown in its true colors? Even in France this film is not shown very often, hard to find and not known enough. The dialogs are fantastic, all acting fabulous. Highly recommended.

A rich and detailed production with a myriad of actors, both French and international. Sam Neill, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Andrzej Seweryn are superb.

What an incredible set of circumstances. Having not grown up in Europe, this part of history was not taught in our schools.

The people will be heard, (eventually) if they stand up in great enough numbers.

Like all movements, (common ideologies notwithstanding), they went too far. Gives credence to the saying, 'Live by the sword, die by the sword.' What a bloodbath. Have politicians of all creeds really changed that much? They're still motivated by their mouths and egos as much as the desire for any real reform. A certain type of person.

A really excellent production. I had watched the Depardieu film Danton first, which seemed more about actor ego than history. I regret having seen that. This is much more in-depth.

Available on YouTube as of this date. Worth tracking the full 5hr+ version.