Danton (1983 film)
Danton (French pronunciation: [dɑ̃tɔ̃]) is a 1983 French-language film depicting the last weeks of Georges Danton, one of the leaders of the French Revolution. It is an adaptation of the 1929 play The Danton Case by Stanisława Przybyszewska.
| Danton | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Andrzej Wajda |
| Written by | Jean-Claude Carrière Andrzej Wajda Agnieszka Holland Bolesław Michałek Jacek Gąsiorowski |
| Based on | The Danton Case by Stanisława Przybyszewska |
| Produced by | Margaret Ménégoz Barbara Pec-Slesicka |
| Starring | Gérard Depardieu |
| Cinematography | Igor Luther |
| Edited by | Halina Prugar-Ketling |
| Music by | Jean Prodromidès |
| Distributed by | Gaumont |
Release dates |
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Running time | 136 minutes |
| Countries | France Poland West Germany |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $10.4 million |
The film stars Gérard Depardieu in the title role, with Wojciech Pszoniak as Maximilien Robespierre, and Patrice Chéreau as Camille Desmoulins. It was directed by the Polish director Andrzej Wajda and was an international co-production between companies in France, Poland and West Germany. All supporters of Danton (with the exception of Bourdon, who would later betray him) are played by French actors, while Robespierre's allies are played by Poles. Alain Depardieu, Gérard's brother, is listed in the credits as Director of Production.
Not always rigidly historical, the film was accused of drawing parallels between the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution and the situation in contemporary Poland, in which the Solidarity movement was struggling against the oppression of the Soviet-backed Polish government; however, this was denied by the filmmakers. The film had 1,392,779 admissions in France.