DANTON

France, 1983, 136 minutes, Colour.
Gerard Depardieu, Wojcziek Pszoniak, Patrice Chereau, Anne Alvaro,
Directed by Andrej Wajda.
At the end of the 1970s, the beginning of the 1980s, celebrated polish film director Andrej Wajda, had celebrated the changes in Polish society and government with his Man of Marble and Man of Iron. This coincided with the rise of the solidarity movement and the leadership of lech Walesa. Wajda moved to France and his first film there, in French, was Danton. Later Wajda was able to move back to Poland, especially in the 1990s and continued to make films well into the 21st century, a career in directing for 55 years and more.
The screenplay for this film was written by Jean Carriere, writer for a number of films by Luis Bunuel.
The film does not dwell on French Revolution and spectacular scenes, nor on the background stories of citizens as in Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and its many film versions. Rather, this is a political film, Robespierre and his assumption of power and the clash with the very popular Danton. Danton is executed but Robespierre was to follow not long afterwards.
The film has a lot of dialogue, discussions about principles, political issues, the exercise of power, the role of the aristocracy, the death of the king, the future of France. A number of historical characters appear in supporting roles, including the artist David, who captured moments of the Revolution for later generations in his paintings.
Many commentators at the time saw similarities between the experience of the French Revolution and the struggle for power and the rise of Solidarity and Lech Walesa and the intransigence of General Jaruzelski. While in later decades, the impact of the film is mainly about Danton, it is interesting to reflect on what Wajda was experiencing about Poland and his incorporating that in his interpretation of Danton and the Revolution.


1. Audience interest in the French Revolution? The French Revolution films? This film with the perspective from Poland? The Polish situation of the 1980s with Solidarity and Lech Walesa? The film made in France?
2. The director and his reputation? Polish, working in France? The 1970s and his career in Poland, the rise of Solidarity, his moving to France? Making parallels between the Revolution and the situation in Poland?
3. The film as a French revolution story? About the leaders? The re-creation of the period? The characters and issues?
4. Audience knowledge of the Revolution, of the various political stances, the aristocracy and their downfall, the death of Louis the XVIth and Mary Antoinette? Robespierre and Danton and the other revolutionary leaders? And their quarrels and deaths?
5. The use of colour, unbleached look? Modelling scenes on paintings? The artist David and his being a character in the film? Costumes and décor? Compositions and illustrations of scenes of the Revolution?
6. The locations, interiors, light and darkness? Editing and pace? The reliance on speeches and verbal interactions? The musical score, electronic music, the mood?
7. The Revolution and its reality, the Republic? 1793 and 1794? The death of the king and queen, the ascendancy of the committee, the use of the guillotine, the many victims killed, blood? The aristocracy being killed as an example?
8. The people, the need for bread? The wars and issues of blame? The abundance of spies? A convention, the committees and power? Robespierre and his assumption of power? The influence of Saint-Just? and his stances? The achievement of the revolution? Its flaws, corruption and destruction?
9. The leaders and their achievement, having solutions and thinking they were the best? Danton and his popularity and achievement, support? Desmoulins publishing? Robespierre and his definition of The Terror, fear? The end justifying every means? Truth and lies? For the common good? In order to stay in power? The internecine struggles?
10. The picture Paris, the people, the crowds, the guillotine, hunger? The courts? Paris at the end, the people as pawns? Where did audience sympathies lie?
11. Danton, Gerard Depardieu in the role, background, the coach and his arrival, the guillotine? His friends, their advice? Being popular, his poses, verbal denunciations, using his wits? As a dictator, working with Robespierre, absent from Paris, testing Robespierre? The meeting, the food, and staring at each other, overacting? His success, his speeches and declarations? Arrested, the outrage, in prison, in court, as an orator? His behaviour in the court, the speeches, theatrical? Robespierre, and his losing? Hoarse? The death preparations, his hair, death? In himself, his values, politics, being in power, use of power, confidence and to his death? The death of the revolution? What if…?
12. The contrast with Robespierre, his physique, his goal? The maid, brother? Not to be touched? His illness, the process of dressing, the committees and his advice, his stances, opposition, people accepting him? The visit to gain time and the test of wits? The wig and the wine? Going to Desmoulins, smashing the press, Herron, the discussions and his advice? The arrest, pros and cons? The trial going badly? The portrait, David? The convention and rules? Winning, issues of loyalty? As dictator, refusing to giving? Winning or losing? What if…?
13. Desmoulins and the taunts, the press, his power for destruction, love for Danton, Lucille? The puzzle, Robespierre’s visit, the arrest, in prison, death, Lucille and the child, the support?
14. Phllipaux as a character, his stances, pro Danton? Involvement in the plots?
15. Saint-Just? as a character, for the revolution, with Robespierre, interactions with Danton? Fanatical?
16. The artist David, his role in the revolution, paintings, capturing the era, his paintings influencing later generations?
17. Lucille, in herself, the relationship with Daonton, his death, the child?
18. The impact of this film in comparison with other stories, especially the versions of a tale of two cities.