Danton

A French-Polish Coproduction

What are you doing? lt's just wood

- lt's only firewood for Paris

- We'll check it anyway

l want those books checked too!

Take nothing for granted

Spare no-one!

Go away!

Leave me alone!

Spring 1 794

Year 11

of the Republic

A good revolutionary must be hardy

- Article One

-''All men are born free and equal

''Social distinctions...

''...can only be founded...

''...on common interest

- The principle ...

- The goal...

''The goal of all political associations

is the good of the nation

''Liberty is the right to do anything...

-...not harmful to...

- Your fellow men

Why is there still no bread?

They're blaming the war

The bread shortage has nothing

to do with the war. lt's a ploy...

By whom?

Those who want to discredit the

government and make the people revolt

- Or it's the government

- To what end?

Power corrupts, it's an old story

You speak for Robespierre?

They're starting early this morning

- Who's that?

- An emigre, caught on his way out

He's so handsome

You make them walk there now?

- The walk back won't be so easy

- Not with your head under your arm

Give me your card

- Why? What have l done?

- Your card

But l've done nothing wrong -

will you cut off my head?

Look! lt's him!

lt's Danton

''The despot says: let many innocents

die rather than have one culprit escape

''The Public Safety Committee sees

despotism as a necessary measure

''They agree with Machiavelli that the

greater good excuses minor evils...

''...that liberty, like a child, needs

tears and pain to reach maturity

''ln fact, the mere desire for liberty

is enough to make one free

''The people won their right to freedom

the day they claimed it: 1 4th July

''The final safeguard against despotism

is a free press

''lf Moscow had a free press it would

be a republic tomorrow

- ''lf it's destroyed in France...''

- Be quiet

- Has it been distributed?

- No, it's still at the printer's

What are you waiting for?

Citizen barbers, come in

Greetings and fraternity!

What a fine day!

Spring is here at last

You don't look too well

Well, you've been ill for five weeks

We'll soon fix that

Hairpins...

Tomorrow l'll trim your hair

What are you doing?

Hiron, you have no right

You should arrest Camille Desmoulins

He's right, he's just a printer

Sorry, we have no orders to

arrest you, Citizen Desmoulins

No, l'd rather not look

Come back tomorrow, as usual

You're better

How fortunate

Danton is back

He's plotting a coup

- Have you read it?

- Not yet

Desmoulins urges the people to rise

against the Committees

All of Paris is talking about

a coup d'etat and a dictatorship

Who's the man?

No name's been mentioned yet,

but l think it's...

Danton!

Has he gone mad?

The Republic will be spared much grief

if we send Danton to the guillotine now

Danton is an idol

He's not really dangerous

lf it isn't him... it's Desmoulins

Real bread, citizen?

- Yes, but there's no sugar

- Never mind

- There's no sugar

- Thank you, l haven't slept

l'm exhausted

Danton is behind those attacks,

Camille Desmoulins is in thrall to him

- What is our true goal, Antoine?

- The triumph of the Revolution

But not at any price; why all this

carnage? There are easier ways

Such as?

Desmoulins and Danton will be

beheaded whatever you say

ls it really so cold?

Can l have my coat, please?

ls your fever up?

lt'll pass

Don't you dare stare at him

''Committees Equal Dictatorship''

The attacks against the government

are growing too frequent

Desmoulins' newspaper calls for

war on the Committees

- l accuse Danton and his friends...

- Forgive me, l'm a little late

Just like school

l accuse Danton and his friends of

counter-revolutionary activity

Would you deprive the Revolution of

its best servants?

You can't be serious

You surprise me, Robespierre

- Danton, a servant of the Revolution?

- You're raving

No, Billaud, l remember

even if you don't

You forget all that Danton has done

in your eagerness to cut him down

Citizens...

lt was he who got the ball rolling...

...by setting up our revolutionary cell

in 1 790 and 1 791 - remember that!

Remember the Champ de Mars

massacre? Danton instigated it

Then fled to the country

Let's stop all this

The letter found in Mirabeau's safe

openly denounced Danton's plotting

Can we trust a traitor's word?

Lawyers' tricks

ln any case, we cannot base

such a serious charge...

...on rumours alone

l insist we call citizen Amar

Amar of the Security Committee

ln no case can l allow Danton

to go on trial

Robespierre, you're afraid

l know it's easier to execute him,

but l say that his good faith...

...is beyond question

Killing this defenceless man

is barbaric and senseless

- Defenceless

- Quite!

His only weapon was that newspaper

Was?

l had the paper closed down

Desmoulins will replace it with

another

- Then we shall...

- Eliminate Camille!

No, we'll win him over

Camille's our most fervent

propagandist

Citizen Amar...

You have evidence against Danton

Go on!

Read it!

Are you praying?

What l'm about to say must remain

confidential

Citzens, like all of you,

l doubt Danton's good faith

At last!

And yet...

Yet l object categorically...

...to his execution

Justice is a divine virtue,

hence unattainable

The Revolutionary Tribunal cannot

embody justice

lt can only be a tool to punish

the nation's enemies

But it cannot clamp down on criminals

Fabre, Danton and the rest are guilty

of numerous crimes

The axe will fall on Fabre who

undermines the Revolution

But we won't touch Danton

who bears the most blame

Executing Danton would only plunge

the bourgeoisie into counter-revolution

The Convention would rise against us

We'd shake the people's faith

in the Revolution

And in that case...

...we'd have to rule by terror alone

You know what that means?

Terror is despair, nothing else

Yes, l'm afraid

So afraid of terror that to avoid it...

...l'll make any compromise,

stoop to the basest humiliation...

...any lie

The traitor, Danton, must be granted

an exorbitant favour: amnesty

For the good of the country,

we must submit

We can't afford to be just

You're here, at last!

- So you're back

- Yes, l was bored

- l've come for my orders

- What orders?

Here's what l say: first,

free all the prisoners

l'll summon our fighting men, raid

the Convention and kill the leaders

Splendid! l wish you luck

But you don't understand,

Robespierre's on the move

The Committee is about to pounce on

us, and you, after what you've done

Why me? What have l done?

Not much, but if the Supreme Judge is

mentioned and your name comes up -

Easily done

''Danton is after a dictatorship!'' One

single whisper, and you've had it

Who'd dare condemn me?

The Committee, of course

- Robespierre's on his feet again

- Oh, that puny Committee

You're so sure of yourself

Use your head, Westermann,

l have all of Paris behind me

lt's now or never, believe me

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