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Film and Drama Many, many films and plays have been made about the French Revolution. On this page, I've listed those featuring Saint-Just, with stills where possible, in order of release. More plays are listed on the Fiction Bibliography page; the ones here are those for which I have production photos or illustrations.
Louis de Saint-Just (1910) According to IMDB, this is a French short film, silent and in black and white of course. Unfortunately, that's all I know about it. Thanks to Lisa for letting me know about this IMDB entry! Do you know where I can get a copy of this film? Please email me at susanna at saint-just dot net.
Danton (a.k.a. All For a Woman) (1921) This silent German film, which depicts events leading up to Danton's execution, is interesting in that all the characters get fair treatment-- NONE of them are likable. It focuses mostly on Danton, Camille Desmoulins, and Hérault-Séchelles, and the three women with whom they become involved. This leads to a few historical inaccuracies. Lucille is an aristocratic girl Camille happens to "find," and he marries her to protect her from the Revolution. She then promptly cheats on him with Danton, who is in love with her, much to the ire of his own wife, a mysterious "Julia." (His wife at the time was actually named Louise.) Meanwhile, Hérault-Séchelles has adopted a poor girl named Babette and made her over into an aristocrat. (There is a bath scene that rivals that of My Fair Lady. . . .) After his arrest, her old friends raid his house and find her. She promptly tears off her fancy dress and puts on her old clothes to be carried away victoriously by the people. Her only remorse seems to be leaving her shoes. And those six are the heroes. The villains are, of course, Robespierre, Saint-Just, and Fouquier-Tinville, the public prosecutor. Robespierre resembles nothing so much as a turtle and denounces Danton mostly for his involvement with low-class women. Saint-Just mostly does Robespiere's dirty work, such as dealing with Westermann when he comes to plead Danton's case. The rest of the time, he skulks about looking morose. He also is the one who convinces Robespierre to arrest Camille as well, despite a touching flash back of Robespierre and Camille as kids. Overall, the movie is fun to watch, though of little historical value. It is based on Georg Büchner's Danton's Tod, but has been altered considerably from the original play. This film is in the public domain and may be distributed freely. You can obtain a copy at a wonderful price from Tricolor Books.
Napoleon (1927, 1934 [re-edit]) Napoleon is rather advanced for its time as far as film technology goes. Though silent and monochrome, it features tinting (see the stills for examples) and overlaying of multiple images on the film at one time. It also boasts the most dour Robespierre of any French Rev movie, and a dotty old Couthon who likes bunnies. Napoleon opens with an epic snowball-fight at young Napoleon's school, which goes on for quite a long bit of film. Many later scenes follow this pattern by being drawn out much longer than necessary. A surprisingly long time is spent on the Revolution, with Saint-Just appearing near the start of the second half of the four-hour-long film. Saint-Just is prissily played by the director in lots of makeup, and he is usually seen holding either a rose or a mirror. He is shown as responsible for Danton's and Desmouslin's death, as well as the imprisonment of Josephine (who is happily saved first when her ex-husband dies in her place, then when one of the scribes eats her dossier). He is also shown sitting suggestively cross-legged on Robespierre's desk. His other big scene occurs when he gives his Thermidor speech to the Convention right before his and Robespierre's arrest. Music "The Terror" from Napoleon (MP3) Available used from Amazon.com
Danton (1931) Remake of 1921's Danton. Do you know where I can get a copy of this film? Please email me at susanna at saint-just dot net.
Reign of Terror (a.k.a. The Black Book) (1949) Upon rewatching The Black Book, I found that, historical inaccuracies aside, it really isn't as bad as I remembered. The basic plot is that Robespierre has lost his little black book-- but instead of potential dates (this is Robespierre we're talking about) it lists guillotine fodder, along with their crimes. He employs a man named Duval-- and nicknamed "The Terror of Strausbourg"-- to find out who has stolen it. However, for a Terror of Strausbourg, Duval is pretty inept and promptly gets himself murdered. A man named Charles D'Aubigny then poses as Duval to try to stop Robespierre's bid for dictator, along with his former lover Madelon, who stood him up four years ago. In the process, Charles figures out that Robespierre hasn't lost the book at all, but instead is using the rumor to cause fear among his rivals, thus using a "divide and conquer" strategy. Of course in the end everything comes up roses for Charles and Madelon, and Robespierre and Saint-Just get guillotined. Saint-Just (who is described in the movie as a "connoisseur of roses and blood") does Robespierre's dirty work for him, mostly consisting of chasing after Charles after he steals the book from Robespierre's office. To Saint-Just's credit, he is the only one to suspect that Charles isn't really Duval. However, he's quite a cad, and just to be sure you know he's the bad guy, he kicks a kitten for good measure. What irritated me the most about The Black Book is that all the names were pronounced with an American accent: Saint-Just as "saint just," Danton with a short A, etc. As far as inaccuracies, the greatest was of course that the infamous black book was passed around the Convention on 8 Thermidor, and was the reason Robespierre and Saint-Just were executed. Also, Louise Danton is shown pleading for her husband's life with Robespierre instead of Lucille Desmoulins, but as Camille isn't mentioned in the movie, I suppose it makes sense. Probably the (unintentionally) funniest scene in the movie (besides the kitten-kicking) occurs when Robespierre's dog shows Charles where the black book is hidden. Also worthy of an eye-roll is the appearance of Napoleon at the end, as he is only shown from the back and is told by Fouche "I'll try to remember your name." My autograph of Jess Barker, who plays Saint-Just Available used and new from Amazon.com
I giacobini (The Jacobin) (1962) Eloisa writes that l giacobini aired on TV in Italy in 1962 but is now impossible to find. Images from the play version are at the bottom of this page. Do you know where I can get a copy of this film? Please email me at susanna at saint-just dot net.
Dantons Tod (1963) Yet another film version of Buchner's play. Made for TV in West Germany. Do you know where I can get a copy of this film? Please email me at susanna at saint-just dot net.
Caméra Explore le Temps - La Terreur et la
Vertu (1964) Internet
Movie Database - La Danton The La Terreur et la Vertu were TV movies which, though I have not seen them, are highly recommended by Nicola, who was kind enough to take screen captures for me! Nicola says that Saint-Just and Robespierre are both portrayed sympathetically. These films are available on Region 2 DVD from Alapage.com.
If you know of a source for Region 1 or Region Free versions of these
movies, please email me at susanna at saint-just dot net.
Weekend (1967) Weekend has something to say about French bourgeois society and values, and a lot to say about car wrecks. I watched it for the second time in years at 3 in the morning on a sleepless night, but I don't think my apprehension of it would be any more coherent at a more congenial hour. Weekend follows one weekend in the life of the absurdly despicable Corrine and Roland, a married couple who sleep around and plot to kill each other but manage to work together in their attempts to murder Corrine's father. After poisoning him for five years, they set out on a road trip to pick him up from a clinic, but along the way run into an assortment of car wrecks and strange people. At one point, they are forced to give a man who claims to be God and his girlfriend a ride at gunpoint. (To "God's" credit, he does produce a rabbit from under the dashboard.) "God" eventually gets fed up with them when he offers to grant their every wish if they take him to London, and all they wish for are material possessions, including a Mercedes for Roland and naturally blonde hair for Corrine. Saint-Just appears after the malignant duo have wrecked their car and proceed toward their destination on foot. In the section of the film titled "From French Revolution to Gaullist Week-Ends," as they walk through a field, Saint-Just wanders by reading one of his speeches. Corrine and Roland meanwhile discuss the location of various murder weapons, apparently trying to find a way to shut him up. In the next scene, they come across Saint-Just again, this time as a modern man singing a rather catchy tune in a phone booth. When Corrine and Roland finally manage to get him off the phone, they first try to get a ride in his very sporty little red car, then when he refuses, they try to steal it. Poor Saint-Just chases them around with a spare tire, then manages to escape, Saint-Just-mobile intact. Saint-Just's scene in Weekend, higher quality clip, no subtitles Scans from The New Yorker, January 8, 2001 Available used and new from Amazon.com
Saint-Just et la Force des Choses (1974) Based on Robert Ollivier's book. There is also a two-part TV version by the same director, released in 1975. Stills on a Russian Saint-Just site Do you know where I can get a copy of this film? Please email me at susanna at saint-just dot net.
Les Apprentis Sorciers (1977) IMDB says, "Les Apprentis Sorciers is a thriller in which the characters are Latin-American exiles living in Paris. It is also a comedy about artists who play at revolution rather than actually participate in one." Do you know where I can get a copy of this film? Please email me at susanna at saint-just dot net.
Dantons Tod (1981) Remake of 1921's Danton Do you know where I can get a copy of this film? Please email me at susanna at saint-just dot net.
Danton (1982) Danton is the movie to see if you like a little surrealism with your Revolution. Based on Stanislawa Przybyszewska's play The Danton Case, this film features brilliant acting, although it is rather creepy even for my tastes-- and I'm a Stephen King fan. Gerard Depardieu is fantastic as Danton, even though he is quite a bit better looking than the real thing, but perhaps the best acting in the whole movie is by Angela Winkler, who plays Lucile Desmoulins. Some view Danton as extremly anti-Robespierre, but I didn't really see it that way. Robespierre hesitates for some time before finally moving for Danton's arrest, and he makes several attempts to save Camille Desmoulins (and is summarily rejected each time). Saint-Just is shown as devoted to Robespierre and opposing him only in that Saint-Just argues for the arrest of Danton and the others before Robespierre comes around. He stands up for Robespierre when others oppose him, although he is blissfully unaware of Robespierre's suffering and anguish at the end of the movie, which seemed a little odd to me considering how close they were throughout the rest of the film. Linda plays Saint-Just well, and to me rather resembles one of Prudhon's portraits. On a side note, the creepiness factor is ramped up considerably by Eleonore Duplay, played by Anne Alvaro in her first big-screen film role. (The Internet Movie Database wrongly dates the movie as being made in 1983. However it does include the interesting fact that Ms. Alvaro has never done a nude scene in her 30-year stage career. Small favors...) At the beginning of the movie, she is bathing her little brother (who looks quite old enough to bathe himself) and making him recite the Rights of Man, slapping him on the hands when he forgets part of it. She continuously interrupts Robespierre to fuss over him, hits a maid in the face for "ogling Citizen Robespierre" (apparently only Eleonore is allowed to do that!), then marches her brother in at the end of the film to recite to Robespierre, completely missing the fact that he is drenched with sweat, panicking over Danton's death, and generally freaked out. The movie ends with the little boy's voice droning on while everything goes white. Available used from Amazon.com
La Révolution Française (1989) This movie was filmed in both French and English. American viewers will recognize Jane Seymour as Marie Antoinette, Sam Neill as LaFayette, and Christopher Lee as Sanson. Saint-Just has a fairly important role in this part of LRF and is very beautifully portrayed by Thompson. LRF (which includes a first segment, Les Anneés Lumiere [Years of Hope], that does not feature Saint-Just and focuses more on the royal family) is a favorite among Revolution fans for its accuracy and good acting. LAT focuses heavily on Robespierre and unlike many films, gives him a warm, human side. In fact, I found myself empathizing with all the characters, even Danton and Camille Desmoulins (neither of whom I'm particularly fond). One facet of LAT I found especially interesting was its portrayal of the animosity between Saint-Just and Desmoulins. While treated in books, most films ignore this aspect of Saint-Just and his relationship with his fellow revolutionaries, so I was pleased to see it given its due. I did get bored occasionally during LAT, but that probably had a lot to do with my short attention span for movies. LAT is very long, but it is of necessity-- you can't cover the entire Revolution in two hours! I highly recommend LAT if you can find a copy of it. Saint-Just's music from the soundtrack (MP3) The following images were provided by Olivia. The following publicity shots were found by Caitlin and Morgan
at Corbis. Available for sale or rent in French with no subtitles
from Francevision.
The French Revolution (2005) This two-hour documentary by the History Channel covers a broad overview of the Revolution. I was a little disappointed in it, but I suppose they did fairly well considering how much they tried to cover in what was probably an hour and a half once you took out time for the commercials. Surprisingly the documentary is sympathetic towards Robespierre, and the dramatic re-enactments are well done. Saint-Just is mentioned once at the very end. A DVD or VHS of the program, along with other related shows, may be purchased here.
Pictures from the French Revolution (Drama) Still (Robespierre
in front, Saint-Just in the very back, Fouché, Billaud, and
Collot in between)
Year II of Freedom (Drama) Alla's English translation of the captions: "The text in Russian is, under the top picture is, mistakenly: 'Danton at the rostrum' but it clearly shows Danton in the dock at the Revolutionary Tribunal. The text under the middle picture is 'Saint-Just and the Committee members on the eve of the 9th Thermidor.' The text next to the bottom picture is '9th Thermidor - the day of the fall of Robespierre.'"
I Giacobini (Drama) The following images are from the performace of I Giacobini in Milan in 1956-1957. Saint-Just was played by Luigi Vannucchi, Robespierre by Tino Carraro, Lucile Desmoulins by Virna Lisi, and Camille Desmoulins by Sergio Fantoni. Saint-Just |
