Movie, Danton, Was Scripted by Andrzej Wajda,

¶ … movie, Danton, was scripted by Andrzej Wajda, a man who knew enough about nationalism and ideology to be caustic about so-called Revolutionary enterprises. The struggle between Danton and Robespierre, centerpiece and stuff of Danton translates these views into reality. Transferring his attention to France, Wajda indicates that Revolutions are not as mythical or as idealistic as we tend to think them to be.

Rather, the stuff of myths, closely examined, turns out to be the stuff of human mortality where humans, striving for power and control, battle each other over their various ambitions and jealousies. Ultimately, Revolutions revolve around psychology rather than ideology, and Wajda's heroes, Danton and Robespierre, demonstrate this truism in their animosity and struggle. Dante and Robespierre are two of the French Revolution's most titanic figures.

The scene occurs in the spring of 1794, five years after the collapse of the Bastille, and shortly following the institution for the Committee of Public Safety and the Revolutionary Tribunal by the revolutionary in order to quell internal and external enemies, the bourgeois / aristocracy, and spies. Money and military personnel were needed and thus occurred the Reign of Terror during which scores of prominent people were murdered -- all 'enemies of the state -- including, most famously the liberal Duc d'Orleans and queen of France, Marie Antoinette.

Leaders of this Revolutionary council and prominent in the revolution were the two figures: Dante and Robespierre. Dante and Robespierre may have had similar responsibilities but their personalities and perspective on the revolution differed. Whilst Robespierre believed that 'terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible," Danton and his followers gradually sickened of the Revolution's drift and their enthusiasm for dictatorship and terror waned. Terror is a machine that stops at nothing.

With anarchy unleashed and controls loosened, with no authority in place but an unfettered dictatorship, a battle of wills soon began with leading individuals seeking to assume the 'driver's seat' of a wildly careening country. It was in this way that Robespierre soon turned his attention on Danton and his faction. Wajda emphasizes the nature of the Revolution by spotlighting the conflict between the two men.

Even their characters are different -- totally different -- as though to highlight the conflict and in a metaphorical sense as though to pit passionate life against detached and ruthless science. Passionate life seems to be embodied in the hot, sensual, bulky, bombastic and sloppy Dante who emotionally protests against the excesses of the Revolution.

He cares for life, shows more of an interest in people and ability to socialize -- he seems more of a 'human being' vibrant in character than Robespierre who, detached, cold, ruthless, sickly, slight, and ascetic personifies the stereotype of Science per excellence. Robespierre claims to be 'incorruptible' and to function exclusively for idealistic motives. His excuse for 'quenching' Danton is in order to maintain the impetus of the Revolution that he sees Danton as subduing.

Analysis of the struggle, however, shows the true intent perhaps subconscious even to himself: jockeying for power. Savvy strategist that he is and seeking way to circumvent Denton's popularity, Robespierre solicits him to join him in consolidating the power of the Committee. Danton refuses; he cannot do such an act. "Frankly," he says, "I'd rather be executed than be an executioner." Speechifying and political maneuvering follow, and Danton, emotionally worn out and reckless, appeals to the Convention. The Convention is another demonstration of the fickleness of revolution, nationalism, and idealism.

Failing to follow their founding principles: 'justice, equality, and fraternity', the Convention -- suffused by Robespierre presence, roundly denounces Danton, and Danton is guillotined. It is during this jockeying for power that objective of the Revolution fall flat. The struggle of the two men has made a mockery of the Revolution. Life was no worse in the pre-Revolutionary days. And as though to demonstrate the truism of this fact, Robespierre is awakened by his maid who has her brother recite the "Rights of Man" that Robespierre himself drafted.

Article Four reads: Freedom is the right to do anything not harmful to others. Man's natural rights are limited only by what assures to others in society the exercise of those rights. Only the law can set such limits The law in this case was shown to be a mess. Correct Robespierre was in predicting that Danton's death would indicate the emptiness of the Revolution and that, by doing so, would doom it. It is his ally, the wild fanatic Louis de Saint-Just, who gleefully officiates at.