If you don't know who Georges Danton and Maximilien Robespierre are, you'll be enormously entertained and educated by the 1983 epic Danton. If you know this period of history well, you'll know how this movie ends, but you'll still be entertained. This movie is incredible, even more so when you remind yourself when it was made. It doesn't feel like a 1980s movie. If the time stamp was 1993 or 2003, I would absolutely believe it. It doesn't feel ultra-modern, since most movies nowadays over-use the handheld technique, even in period pieces when it feels jarring. This feels like director Andrzej Wajda snuck a camera into a time machine and travelled back in time to the 1700s. It's very realistic without any modern gadgets to remind viewers they're watching a movie rather than a documentary. Wajda's directing is incredible, making this movie a true classic that stands the test of time nearly forty years later.
A very interesting choice of casting is the French vs. Polish aspect. All the "bad guys", headed by Wojciech Pszoniak as Robespierre, are Polish and speak Polish. All the "good guys", headed by Gérard Depardieu as Danton, are French and speak French. When the movie was released in Poland, the French actors were dubbed, and when the movie was released in France, the Polish actors were dubbed. Using a language barrier adds to the tension of the film; the two opposing sides literally aren't speaking the same language!
The huge shift in Gérard Depardieu's career from the 1970s to the 1980s can be marked, of course, by his César win for Best Actor in The Last Metro. It was such a shock to see him in a serious movie! As the 1980s progressed, he was given a slew of serious dramas to show off his new acting chops, and if anyone had any doubt as to his talent, Danton made it clear: Gérard Depardieu is here to stay. Pick any one of the near-dozen epics he made in the decade and you'll find a fantastic performance. In this one, he's larger-than-life, boisterous, passionate, rebellious, and unafraid. He's magnetic and confident in his star power, telling the audience that he was just storing all this talent up in the previous decade, waiting for roles that were worthy of him.
Wojciech Pszoniak also gives an incredible performance, fleshing out his character into a real person rather than a stereotypical villain. The lengthy courtroom scene is so great to watch, as both give their exhausting and passionate arguments. The only warning I have for this movie is the gore. If you have a sensitive stomach, like yours truly, you'll know when to look away, and I suggest you do so. I've seen still pictures and I'm extremely glad I closed my eyes.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to gory violence, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
A very interesting choice of casting is the French vs. Polish aspect. All the "bad guys", headed by Wojciech Pszoniak as Robespierre, are Polish and speak Polish. All the "good guys", headed by Gérard Depardieu as Danton, are French and speak French. When the movie was released in Poland, the French actors were dubbed, and when the movie was released in France, the Polish actors were dubbed. Using a language barrier adds to the tension of the film; the two opposing sides literally aren't speaking the same language!
The huge shift in Gérard Depardieu's career from the 1970s to the 1980s can be marked, of course, by his César win for Best Actor in The Last Metro. It was such a shock to see him in a serious movie! As the 1980s progressed, he was given a slew of serious dramas to show off his new acting chops, and if anyone had any doubt as to his talent, Danton made it clear: Gérard Depardieu is here to stay. Pick any one of the near-dozen epics he made in the decade and you'll find a fantastic performance. In this one, he's larger-than-life, boisterous, passionate, rebellious, and unafraid. He's magnetic and confident in his star power, telling the audience that he was just storing all this talent up in the previous decade, waiting for roles that were worthy of him.
Wojciech Pszoniak also gives an incredible performance, fleshing out his character into a real person rather than a stereotypical villain. The lengthy courtroom scene is so great to watch, as both give their exhausting and passionate arguments. The only warning I have for this movie is the gore. If you have a sensitive stomach, like yours truly, you'll know when to look away, and I suggest you do so. I've seen still pictures and I'm extremely glad I closed my eyes.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to gory violence, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.