I've read that Wajda made this flick as a metaphor of the Polish disctatorship
May be it is but as a french historian i could not care less....what struck me is the complete lack of truth in this film....it is crystal clear that Wajda has never studied his subject (much complicated i must say) and repeats brillantley all the lies told about the leaders of the French Revolution
No Danton was not a man of moderation...he was a blood-thirsty hard liner who endorsed the slaughter of the swiss gard in august 92 ...the month after he refused as minister of the Justice to stop the massacres in the french jails which made about 1500 victims including 200 proests
He was also corrupted in the worst way possible receiving money from England ....It is when Robespierre prevented him of stealing army funds that he became his worst ennemy.....when he says in the movie "I am the people of France" it is just a big joke...he is the imperialist bourgeoisie representative pushing the war on in order to loot he victims and to get rid of the violent mob who never saw much of the benefits of the revolution
Robespierre pictured as the bad guy was actually was vehemently attacked because of his probity for himself as well as for France (his nickname was and still is "the incorrptible")...because he wanted to end the slavery ...and the us of a ceiling price for the bread ....all those decisions infuriated of course the upper class who evetually killed him ithout a trial.....a superhighway was then opened up for the wholly corrupt Directoire and for...Napoleon Bonaparte
Everything else in the film is first class....Ceratinly Depardieu best movie..
Review of Danton
