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Wajda’s Danton: a film that some of you must have seen. I believe the annoying voice of the historian must be heard, once again: this film is no sheer amusement, it is politics. And, whenever politics are involved – especially more so with the French Revolution – it demands sufficient information from every point of view in order to participate to the creation of critical sense.

This said, I post my translation of Michel Vovelle’s review of Wajda’s Danton. I prefer to let him speak and to describe the film, considering I am much more insulting and find it repulsive in all aspects – especially since the watching of that movie made me ill for a week. The only way in which I found that movie good is how it did prove Wajda’s mental trauma caused by Polish communism. Nevertheless, I shall stop here. Because Vovelle is more neutral, where I completely fail to be. He also enlightens us greatly with the summary of the historiographical debates around Danton and Robespierre, as well as why the Enragés and Hébertistes could be ignored in Wajda's film.

Also, forgive my translation: it's very likely far from being perfect but, again, I tried to translate it with some sense, while keeping as close as possible to the original text...


( In this point of view, the temptation was to return, in spite of ourselves, in spite of the inner fight that can be felt all through the film, to a black and white opposition: on one side Danton, or the Revolution with a human face, on the other Robespierre, or the cold-hearted and dehumanised Revolution. And this is what troubles me when I watch this very beautiful film which will be, for thousands of people, the discovery of the French Revolution. )