15 Great Movies About The French Revolution Everyone Needs To See

15 Great Movies About The French Revolution Everyone Needs To See

The French Revolution is a huge moment in history, and there are many great movies centered on it.

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Few events in Western civilization have been as important as the French Revolution. This expression of popular unrest that toppled the monarchy and ultimately led to a bloody era of repression (and the rise of Napoleon) has, naturally enough, proven to be fertile ground for movies.

While some filmmakers chose the genre of the costume drama to explore the issues of inequality and social decay, others are adaptations of famous works of literature set during this most turbulent period of French history.

Updated December 19th, 2020 by Theo Kogod: There have been many moments of rebellion and revolutionary talk from the past few years alone. As such, taking another look at films about the French Revolution and the lessons it has to teach seems like a great way to reflect on current events. History may repeat, but learning from it could keep you from losing your head. So make sure to check out these 5 extra essential movies about the French Revolution as soon as you can.

15 The French Revolution (1989)

So much happened during the French Revolution, most films fail to capture the scope. This movie (originally titled La Révolution francaise) was made to commemorate the bicentennial of the Revolution and was divided into two parts: Years of Hope (les Années lumière) and Years of Rage (les Années terribles), making it an epic six-hour masterpiece.

It captures everything from the beginning of the Estates-General in 1789 through Robespierre’s final date with Madame Guillotine in 1794, remaining true to history while letting the characters have a chance to feel like real people.

14 Napoléon (1927)

This silent film written, directed, and produced by Abel Gance is one of the great masterpieces of early cinema and, despite its age, is better than most modern movies about the Revolution.

It follows Napoléon Bonaparte from his early military training through such major events of his career as his victory at the Siege of Toulon, his early romance with Joséphine, and his control of the army in the wars with Italy.

13 The Visitors: Bastille Day (2016)

When one thinks of the events of the French Revolution, the mind usually conjures images of rich nobles beheaded by the guillotine, angry mobs wearing their tri-colored cockades while fighting for justice, or major events like the Storming of the Bastille.

Well, this movie (originally titled Les Visiteurs: La Révolution) is the rare movie that can find humor in such a tumultuous time period. Heads may roll, but it is still side-splittingly funny. It is also the third installment of the Les Visiteurs time-travel comedy series.

12 One Nation, One King (2018)

This French film directed by Pierre Schoeller shows three of the most important scenes of the Revolution: the Storming of the Bastille, the Women’s March on Versailles, and the execution of King Louis XVI. It also manages to depict the evolution of the government bodies, from the Estates-General through the National Constituent Assembly up to the National Assembly, giving time to different Revolutionary leaders such as Danton, Marat, and Robespierre.

This film can feel a bit narratively clunky as it tries to fit too many elements into a two-hour runtime, but it strives for cinematic grandeur and fidelity to history in a way few similar films even bother to attempt.

11 Saint-Just and the Force of Things (1975)

Saint-Just and the Force of Things (or, as it is called in French, Saint-Just ou La Force des Choses) is one of those great films that have all but been forgotten.

Directed by Pierre Cardinal, it depicts the Jacobin leader Louis Antoine de Saint-Just (Patrice Alexsandre) who was Robespierre’s friend during the Reign of Terror, portraying the titular hero as an erudite and impassioned radical who tried to reshape his nation until he was executed by the guillotine.

10 A Tale of Two Cities (1935)

Charles Dickens was, of course, one of the most famous and successful Victorian novelists, and many of his novels have, naturally, been made into films. This is a stately yet searing look into some of the fundamental hypocrisies that existed at the heart of the French Revolution.

It’s a truly tragic romance about the ways in which even innocents can get caught up in the midst of terrifying historical events that are far beyond their ability to control.

9 Marie Antoinette (2006)

Marie Antoinette has the dubious distinction of being seen as one of the key figures of the Revolution since her conspicuous consumption and perceived lack of compassion were (and are) seen as key factors in the uprising. This film, directed by Sofia Coppola, takes a much more generous and nuanced view of the title character, portrayed with subtlety and grace by Kirsten Dunst.

It’s a beautifully shot film, and it shows how this young woman, like so many others, was in many ways a victim of a system that cared little for her own desires.

8 Danton (1983)

This French/Polish production takes as its subject Georges Danton, one of the key players in the French Revolution who was ultimately destroyed by the Reign of Terror. It’s a haunting film, and Gérard Depardieu is masterful in his portrayal of the title character.

This film is a potent, and chilling, reminder of the ways that even political movements that begin with the noblest of intentions are often compromised, and undone, by the frailties of the human ego.

7 Marie Antoinette (1938)

Many years before Dunst brought her considerable talents to portraying the infamous French queen, Norma Shearer, one of the most glamorous stars of old Hollywood, put her own stamp on the role. She is positively radiant in the film, Shearer’s combination of charisma and glamor proving a perfect combination to convey the complexities of the queen’s personality.

It is also a tremendously beautiful film to watch, a reminder of just how opulent the old Hollywood studios could be.

6 Farewell, My Queen (2012)

While most of the films about Marie Antoinette focus on the queen herself, this film actually follows one of her servants, who finds her loyalties to her mistress challenged when the Revolution sweeps over their lives.

Unlike many costume dramas, which tend to focus on excess and emotion, this film takes a rather detached view of its subjects, keeping the viewer at one remove from the action. Nevertheless, it does provide a new perspective on the way that the Revolution affected those who were not royal but depended on them for their livelihoods.

5 The Lady and the Duke (2001)

While violence lurks just off the screen in many films about the Revolution, this one was willing to take more than few risks by showing the actual violence that the Terror perpetrated against those that it deemed to be the enemies of the Revolution.

For this reason, it was sharply criticized by many in France. However, it is a well-constructed film, and the narrative is full of suspense as the main character, an Englishwoman caught up in the Revolution, must try to stay alive.

4 Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

Though most films about the Revolution are either biopics or costume dramas, this one is a little different. Told in flashback by a nobleman about to be executed during the Revolution, it focuses on a huntsman and his efforts to track down an elusive beast that is slaughtering people in one of the provinces.

It’s a rather haunting film, to be sure, though it also has moments of excess that look rather ridiculous in hindsight.

3 The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)

In some ways, the 1930s was a golden age for the adventure film, when various studios were trying to push out as many of these swashbuckling films as possible. This story, about an English aristocrat who adopts a different identity in order to help save those being persecuted by the Revolution, is a perfect fit.

The characters are perfectly cast and, while it might lack some of the adrenaline of more modern adventure films, it’s still a lovely film from a bygone era of Hollywood.

2 The Affair of the Necklace (2001)

The so-called “Affair of the Necklace” is one of those events that historians have pinpointed as leading to a gradual disillusionment with Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The film is a gorgeous one, with all of the trappings that are typically associated with the costume drama.

Where it is a bit unusual is in its casting of Hilary Swank as Jeanne, a notorious thief, given that she had never appeared in a costume drama (which has its own stylistic requirements). Critics were ultimately sharply divided as to whether she did the role justice.

1 History of the World, Part 1 (1981)

For those looking for a lighter take on the Revolution, Mel Brooks’ send-up of the historical drama is just the right answer. Brooks, of course, has always had an eye for finding those things that make seemingly serious genres (horror, epic, western) unintentionally hilarious.

While the Revolution only takes up a part of this film, it’s memorable in large part because Mel Brooks himself portrays the hapless Louis XVI. It’s a truly glorious spoof of the costume drama.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/best-french-revolution-movies/

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