La révolution française

I totally HATE history, yet this movie made me actually admire the idea behind learning about history. I got into it so much that I wanted to learn more about other historical events at one point.

The funny thing was, we were forced to watch it french class when I was in grade 9 and I was the only one who really paid attention it seems. Not too many people were feeling the story I guess, but again to have the tiniest interest in history is what's needed to get through this one.

Yes it's super long but the acting is fantastic. It was filmed quite well, and I gotta say has it's bloody points too! It's got some tame gory parts to it (the guillotine), and when people get gunned down etc etc. Overall a great movie that I think everyone should check out!

This was the first movie I watched about the French Revolution. It gives you a very good introduction to the happening of events from this time. Highly Recommend giving this movie a watch. Some of the music (soundtracks) are very nice. There used to be on youtube an upload with the music, but now they're long gone.

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!

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.

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!!