Danton

UPC: 715515042819

Studio: Criterion

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Violence, Brief Nudity, Not For Children]

Summary: In 1982, legendary Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda fled his homeland and relocated in France to direct this powerful story about the ethical boundaries of power and leadership, which had many parallels to Poland's volatile political situation in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Danton (G?rard Depardieu) and Robespierre (Wojciech Pszoniak) were close friends and fought together in the French Revolution, but by 1793 Robespierre was France's ruler, determined to wipe out opposition with a series of mass executions that became known as the Reign of Terror. Danton, well known as a spokesman of the people, had been living in relative solitude in the French countryside, but he returned to Paris to challenge Robespierre's violent rule and call for the people to demand their rights. Robespierre, however, could not accept such a challenge, even from a friend and colleague, and he blocked out a plan for the capture and execution of Danton and his allies. Wajda remained in France until 1989, when the collapse of Communist rule made it possible for him to return to his homeland. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Historical Film

Awards: Best Foreign Film – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Prix Louis-Delluc – French Film Critics Circle Best Director – French Academy of Cinema Film Presented – Telluride Film Festival Best Actor – Montréal World Film Festival Best Actor – Montréal World Film Festival

Features: Disc One:

Original Theatrical Trailer
New and Improved English Subtitle translation

Disc Two:

Video Interviews with Director Andrzej Wajda, Screenwriter Jean-Claude Carri?re, and Polish film critic Jerzy Plazewski

Wajda's "Danton," a 42-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the film

Plus: A booklet featuring a new essay by film scholar Leonard Quart

Danton

Format: DVD

Release Date: 03/31/2009

Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Vistavision

Audio: DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 136 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 2

Language(s) French

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Danton
1. Opening Credits [1:50]
2. Paris, Spring 1794, Year Two of the Republic [7:06]
3. Le vieux Cordelier [3:44]
4. "Danton Is Back" [4:52]
5. The Committee of Public Safety [6:36]
6. Danton Advises Restraint [6:57]
7. Jubilation at the Convention [3:42]
8. The Dinner [5:13]
9. After-Dinner Conversation [10:34]
10. Robespierre and Desmoulins [6:28]
11. An Order Goes Out [7:34]
12. The Arrest [9:06]
13. Outrage at the Convention [:46]
14. "Camille is Not at Home [10:27]
15. The Tribunal [5:48]
16. Robespierre Models for David [8:34]
17. Danton's Monologue [6:19]
18. Confession to a Plot [8:33]
19. "You Feel Nothing When the Blade Drops" [8:20]
20. The Right of Man [7:07]
21. End Credits [3:30]
1. Color Bars [3:23]

Richard Gilliam

In this historical drama, Andrzej Wajda draws a parallel between the tumult of the French Revolution and contemporary crises in his native Poland. The film features what is often regarded as G?rard Depardieu's finest performance, as the compassionate rebel leader who tragically fails to mitigate the Reign of Terror of his friend-turned-enemy Robespierre (Wojciech Pszoniak). The French historical setting and political parallels to contemporary events make this one of Wajda's most accessible films for English language audiences. Igor Luther's cinematography gives the film's settings an authentic feel, as do Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle's costume designs. Among the screenwriters was Agnieszka Holland, who parlayed this and other prominent credits into a career directing films in the United States. ~ Richard Gilliam, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Marian Kociniak  Actor 
Ronald Guttman  Actor 
Vladimir Yordanoff  Actor 
Czeslaw Wollejko  Actor 
Stephane Jobert  Actor 
Angel Sedgwick  Actor 
Alain Mace  Actor 
Leonard Pietraszak  Actor 
Gerard Hardy  Actor 
Jean-Loup Wolff  Actor 
Malgorzata Zajaczkowska  Actor 
Marek Kondrat  Actor 
Krzysztof Globisz  Actor 
Jean-Claude Carrière  Screenwriter 
Agnieszka Holland  Screenwriter 
Margaret Menegoz  Producer 
Jean Prodromides  Composer (Music Score) 
Emmanuel Schlumberger  Producer 
Andrzej Wajda  Director 
Andrzej Wajda  Screenwriter 
Boleslaw Michalek  Screenwriter 
Jacek Gasiorowski  Screenwriter 
Gérard Depardieu  Actor 
Wojciech Pszoniak  Actor 
Patrice Chéreau  Actor 
Angela Winkler  Actor 
Boguslaw Linda  Actor 
Roland Blanche  Actor 
Anne Alvaro  Actor 
Roger Planchon  Actor 
Serge Merlin  Actor 
Lucien Melki  Actor 
Andrzej Seweryn  Actor 
Franciszek Starowieyski  Actor 
Emmanuelle Debever  Actor 
Jerzy Trela  Actor 
Tadeusz Huk  Actor 
Jacques Villeret  Actor 

Country: France,Poland