Danton

Critics Consensus

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82%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 1,800

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Danton Photos

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Movie Info

This French film from a Polish director explores a famous friendship soured by politics and corruption. Georges Danton (Gérard Depardieu) and Maximilien Robespierre (Wojciech Pszoniak) fought side by side during the French Revolution. But when Danton takes control of France and starts executing citizens in droves, Robespierre feels it his duty to challenge his one-time comrade. Robespierre goes to Paris to remove his old friend from power, but Danton will not go down without a fight.

Rating:

PG
Genre:

history, drama
Original Language:

French (France)
Director:

Andrzej Wajda
Release Date (Streaming):

Mar 31, 2009
Runtime:

2h 16m
Production Co:

Gaumont, TF1 Films Production

Cast & Crew

Gérard Depardieu
Danton

Wojciech Pszoniak
Robespierre

Patrice Chéreau
Camille Desmoulins

Anne Alvaro
Éléonore Duplay

Roland Blanche
Lacroix

Emmanuelle Debever
Louison Danton

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Danton

All Critics (12) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (2)

[Wajda] has made a great historical picture, and one with sweat and grime all over it.

June 19, 2018 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
...uncompromising and impassioned. [Depardieu's] throat-scraping, rage-against-the-machine speech in court -- "the Revolution is devouring its children!" -- makes Jimmy Stewart's in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington look like a monk's benediction.

May 20, 2009 | Full Review…

Mark Bourne
Film.com
Danton's true achievement is as elaborate period pageantry.

March 29, 2009 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Joseph Jon Lanthier
Slant Magazine
The lack of clarity of the ideological debate weighs heavily on the film. [Full Review in Spanish]

September 24, 2019 | Full Review…

Octavi Marti
El Pais (Spain)
It adds up to an overwhelming indictment of government oppression.

June 15, 2018 | Full Review…

Robert Darnton
The New York Review of Books
A long-winded and overlong period costume drama.

February 24, 2014 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Wajda's intelligent and complex drama could be appreciated as a period piece about the french Revolution as well as a parable of modern politics in Poland and elsewhere.

August 14, 2011 | Rating: A- | Full Review…

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
The film lacks the vitality and excitement of Wajdas earlier work.

July 29, 2009 | Rating: 6/10 | Full Review…

Christopher Long
Movie Metropolis
In its own way, Danton makes a hell of an argument for dictatorships and fascism. At least they're up front about it.

April 17, 2009 | Rating: 4/5

Chris Cabin
Filmcritic.com
does not give us easy grounding, but instead constantly challenges us to see each character within the context of both his convictions and the necessities of his political position

April 14, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk
A richly suggestive French film about power, liberty, and bureacracy

July 23, 2003 | Full Review…

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality & Practice
Quote not available.

July 29, 2002 | Rating: 3/5

Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

View All Critic Reviews (12)

Audience Reviews for Danton

May 05, 2017

This interesting historical drama looks absolutely stunning (almost like a Delacroix painting) but is also overlong and feels too didactic (almost like a filmed History book, to be honest) despite two very intense performances by Gérard Depardieu and Wojciech Pszoniak.

Carlos M Super Reviewer
Apr 10, 2009

Gérard Depardieu's finest performance, Igor Luther's cinematography giving the settings an authentic feel, as do Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle's costume designs.

hawk l Super Reviewer
Feb 01, 2009

An enlightening, unflattering exercise in French history highlighted by betrayal, corruption and Depardieu.

Randy T Super Reviewer