Danton

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Buy This Item Danton by Triumph Films  Available from Amazon  $29.95  on 11-29-2008     I have a soft spot for Wajda's films but this one beats them all. The knife-edge politics, the ulcer-inducing decision making and the ultimate question did he simply misjudge the situation or did his arrogance drag him down? What makes this film particularly poignant is that it is contemporary with the events taking place in Poland; Solidarity and martial law. Wajda cleverly casts Polish actors as the coldly focussed Robespierre party and Frenchmen as the over-idealistic and headstrong followers of Danton. The chemistry works. One lovely touch is that Wajda casts Franciszek Starowieyski, a great contemporary Polish artist and designer in the role of Jacques Louis David, the great painter of the Revolution. This is a must see film. Reader Reviews Although DANTON distills events that occurred over several months into a matter of days, this film comes very close to taking viewers back to Paris on the eve of "The Great Terror." I have seen DANTON many times, and I am still impressed with its realism and impact. This piece is beautifully cast, although I believe Robespierre and Desmoulins were a bit slighter in build than they are portrayed. In my own role of college teacher, I was recently asked by a colleague to recommend the best film on the Revolution. Without hesitation, I answered, "Danton." Of course, there is some degree of excess and inaccuracy in the film--mind you, this comment comes from someone who has spent many years studying the Revolution--but its value as a historical drama of what boils down to springtime, 1794 Paris is hard to overstate. Yes, the script varies from the original play. However, anyone without a deep knowledge and interest in the Committee of Public Safety finds appreciation of the original work difficult. DANTON takes the wordiness of what may have transpired in "the Green Room" and brings to it a vibrancy with which it would not otherwise have shone.

Danton Available from Amazon Price: $29.95 Updated on 11-29-2008.

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