Danton (1983 film)

Danton is a 1983 French-Polish historical drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It stars Gérard Depardieu as Georges Danton and Wojciech Pszoniak as Maximilien Robespierre. The film portrays the final weeks of Danton's life during the French Revolution, focusing on the ideological and personal conflict between Danton and Robespierre, leading to Danton's trial and execution.

The film is based on the play Sprawa Dantona (The Danton Case) by Stanisława Przybyszewska, though Wajda significantly altered Przybyszewska's original text. Danton explores themes of power, political idealism, revolution, and the corruption of revolutionary ideals. It examines the moral compromises individuals make in the name of the "greater good" and the devastating consequences of unchecked power.

The film was shot in France and Poland under difficult political circumstances, as Poland was then under martial law. This context adds another layer of interpretation to the film, with some viewing the conflict between Danton and Robespierre as an allegory for the struggle between individual freedom and authoritarian control in contemporary Poland and elsewhere.

Danton was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Film. It has been praised for its powerful performances, particularly by Depardieu and Pszoniak, its historical accuracy (although liberties were taken for dramatic purposes), and its insightful commentary on the nature of revolution. The film is considered a significant work in Wajda's filmography and an important contribution to cinematic depictions of the French Revolution.