(no subject)

[tearosefury.livejournal.com]

In a convo with a friend of mine on AIM last night, after being asked if the film Danton was ambiguous in not clearly taking sides, I said this:

EccentricBeauty9: Well, it's about the Terror

EccentricBeauty9: So, *lol* by consequence yes, to a certain degree

EccentricBeauty9: Danton is lionized to a certain extent

EccentricBeauty9: But Robespierre is also treated more sympathically than you could, theoretically, treat him

EccentricBeauty9: But everyone has a soft spot for Robespierre (by everyone I mean, those who study the Revolution; most of us at least) so, that makes sense

 Would you agree that this is for the most part true, that most of us to some degree are a bit of a sucker for Robespierre? Or are there some hard core anti-Robespierrists out there?

Comments

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

There are definitely many anti-Robespierristes; more than there are Robespierristes.....But the few small ways in which Robespierre could be considered to have been treated sympathetically do not add up to an overall sympathetic portrayal in Danton. The filmmakers give him several traits of a Polish Communist from the time Danton was made, while Danton, whom the filmmakers clearly want the audience to sympathize with is given those of the opposition leader in 1980s Poland. As several reviewers have remarked, Danton says more about Poland in the 1980s than France in the 1790s. Thus, in Danton to the extent that Robespierre does represent the actual historical figure, one gets the sense, watching the film, that the filmmakers are trying to be somewhat sympathetic to a character they dislike overall for the sake of nuance.

...Sorry if that was a bit convoluted, but the principle is, as far as Danton really relates relates to the Revolution, it's from a Dantoniste perspective.