Summary

Few event in westerly civilization have been as significant as the French Revolution , andFrench Revolution moviesprove its stirring throughout the age . This expression of popular unrest that toppled the monarchy and at long last lead to a bloody era of repression recognize as The Terror ( and the rise of Napoleon ) has proven to be fertile land for movies . The films have been around since the mum geological era and remain in demand in 2023 , with Ridley Scott’sNapoleonanother addition to the historical subgenre .

While some movie maker chose the genre of costume dramas to explore the issue of inequality and social decay , others are adaptation of famous whole kit of literature , adapted from everyone from Charles Dickens to Baroness Emmuska Orczy . There are also horror movies and comedies based around this menses . What they have in common is that they are set during this most turbulent stop of French story . The safe motion picture are n’t afraid to glow a lightness on the horrors that happened toregular people during the French Revolution .

film that are categorized under the historical play genre are n’t always true to history . Which supposedly historical films are mostly fictional ?

Historical Movies Inaccurate

15The Affair Of The Necklace (2001)

The Story Of The Necklace That Led To The French Revolution

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TheAffair of the Necklaceis one of those outcome that historians have pinpointed as leading to a gradual disillusion between Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette . In the substantial event , Marie Antoinette was falsely incriminate of attempt to fraud the Crown ’s jewelers . In reality , a French thief had forged her signature and did it . Regardless , the public turned against the Queen , and this moment finally led to the French Revolution .

Several critics also incriminate the film of several inaccuracy concerning the thief .

The film of the same name is gorgeous , with all the trappings typically consociate with costume drama . It is a scrap unusual in itscasting of Hilary Swank as Jeanne , a notorious thief , pay that she had never seem in a costume drama . Critics slammed the movie , but audience appreciated it more ( 15 % on Rotten Tomatoes , with a 42 % audience score ) . Several critics also accuse the film of several inaccuracy worry the thief , Jeanne de Saint - Rémy de Valois .

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14The Visitors: Bastille Day (2016)

The Third Movie In The Les Visiteurs Film Series

When thinking about French Revolution movies , images of rich nobles beheaded by the guillotine , wild mob wear their tri - colored cockades while fighting for DoJ , or major events like the Storming of the Bastille come to bear in mind . The Visitors : Bastille Day(Les Visiteurs : La Révolution ) is the rare moving picture that can find humor in such a tumultuous period . Heads may roll , but it was still exalt for being funny . It is also the third installment of theLes Visiteurstime - locomotion comedy serial , which start in 1993 .

The first movie was about a twelfth - century knight and his squire clip travel to the 20th one C . They uphold to journey in fourth dimension , but the 2d movie ends with the bend in that they end up in France during the French Revolution , and this moving picture is the next in line of reasoning and picks up from that point , where Jacquouille and Godefroy have to escape the war and get their way back home .

13One Nation, One King (2018)

One Of The More Historically Accurate French Revolution Movies

One commonwealth , One big businessman is a historical dramatic play directed by Pierre Schoeller that explores the turbulent period of the French Revolution . The film follows various characters from dissimilar social strata as they navigate the political turmoil of the earned run average , leading to the abolition of the monarchy . Through their interconnected stories , the film portrays the complex and transformative nature of revolutionary France .

This French film , directed by Pierre Schoeller , prove three of the most of import scenes of the Revolution : the Storming of the Bastille , the Women ’s March on Versailles , and the execution of King Louis XVI.It also carry off to portray the phylogenesis of the governance bodies , from the Estates - General through the National Constituent Assembly up to the National Assembly , giving time to unlike Revolutionary leadership such as Danton , Marat , and Robespierre .

This film can feel clunky but strives for cinematic grandeur and historic fidelity . It initially screened out of competition at the Venice Film Festival and was free by StudioCanal in France . One Carry Amelia Moore Nation , One Kingearned two accolade nominations at the Cesar Awards for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design . As a smaller outside movie , there are very few decisive review . However , the independent critique is that the film does little to show the substantial gyration and focuses on the common person fend up against the ruling stratum .

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12The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)

A Movie About A Man Trying To Save Those Persecuted During The Revolution

The Scarlet Pimpernel ( 1934 ) is a historical play set during the French Revolution . Leslie Howard stars as Sir Percy Blakeney , a British aristocrat who leads a doubled life history rescuing condemned Gallic nobles . Merle Oberon plays Lady Blakeney , his conflicted married woman , while Raymond Massey portrays the relentless opponent , Chauvelin . Directed by Harold Young , the film is an adaptation of Baroness Orczy ’s classic novel , blending romance , suspense , and adventure .

In some style , the 1930s was a gilt age for adventure films when various studio seek to push out as many of these swashbuckling films as possible . The Scarlet Pimpernelis about an English aristocrat who take on a different identity to help keep those being persecuted by the Revolution , and it is a perfect fit . The characters are absolutely cast , and while it might miss some of the epinephrine of more modern movies about the French Revolution , it ’s still a adorable film from a departed era of Hollywood .

free-base on the novel by Baroness Orczy , already turned into a microscope stage fun by this time .

Blended image of a French Revolution war scene and Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette

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Based on the novel by Baroness Orczy , already turned into a stage play by this sentence , The Scarlet Pimpernelstars Leslie Howard as Sir Percy Blakeney , a gentleman who direct a clandestine society that saves the lives of aristocrat from the Gallic mobs who require them dead . This picture show is mostly a smaller movie about insurrectionist during the French Revolution but is alsoa playfulness action mechanism adventure tale about overcoming enceinte odds .

11The French Revolution (1989)

A Six-Hour Epic Telling Of The Entire French Revolution

So much happened in the French Revolution that most motion picture about it break to capture the scope . This film ( originally titledLa Révolution française ) was made to commemorate the bicentennial of the Revolution . It was divided into two role : Years of Hope(les Années lumière ) andYears of Rage(les Années terribles ) . It captures everything from the rootage , rest true to history while lease the characters have a chance to feel like existent multitude . This is theonly movie that encompass the entire French Revolution .

The two pic total six hours , with the first part showing the early days of the French Revolution and the second part focusing on the aftermath of the 10 August Insurrection and the Reign of Terror . The mold is huge , with the most placeable face being Jane Seymour and Peter Ustinov . Most historians praise the movie ’s historical accuracywhile also criticizing the film ’s determination to remain neutral about the war , making it hard to obtain anyone to follow .

10The Lady And The Duke (2001)

One Of The More Violent French Revolution Movies

While violence loaf just off the filmdom in many French Revolution movies , this one read a few risk of infection by designate the devastation that the Terror perpetrated against the enemies of the Revolution . Directed by Éric Rohmer , the film is based on Grace Elliott ’s memoirs as a royalist caught in the aftermath of the French Revolution .

It was sharply criticized by many in France because it did n’t bind back in showing the revolutionary fierceness . However , it is a well - construct film , and the tale is full of suspense as the chief eccentric , an Englishwoman get up in the Revolution , must hear to stay live . The movie show more force than other French Revolution films , but it alsoproves to be super naturalistic . The complaints about the force might be the point here , as the flick show the terrors of the warfare , and does n’t ease back on its ugly truths .

9Napoléon (1927)

A SIlent Era French Revolution Masterpiece

​​​​​​This silent film , written , directed , and produced by Abel Gance , is one of the masterpieces of early celluloid and stands up well with most modern French Revolution movie . It follows Napoléon Bonaparte from his early military training through pregnant events of his life history , such as his victory at the Siege of Toulon , his early Latinian language with Joséphine , and his control of the regular army in the warfare with Italy .

This first movie was forward of its time , using thing like debauched film editing , penny-pinching - ups , POV shots , multiple camera angles , and more .

The movie was restore to its original resplendency in 1981 , a second meter in 2016 , and a more recentNapoléon film based on the true storyarrived in 2023 . However , this first movie wasahead of its time , using things like firm press clipping , close - ups , POV shots , multiple camera angles , and moreat a metre when these techniques were just becoming known in the movie - making world . The movie was a very long 562 minute , with mostly prescribed reappraisal , sit down at 88 % overbold on Rotten Tomatoes .

The Affair Of The Necklace (2001)-1

8Saint-Just And The Force Of Things (1975)

A Forgotten French Revolution Movie

Saint - Just and the Force of Things(Saint - Just ou La force des choses ) is a motion picture about the French Revolution that has all but been forgotten . Directed by Pierre Cardinal , Saint - Just and the Force of Thingsfollows the Jacobin loss leader Louis Antoine de Saint - Just ( Patrice Alexsandre ) , who was Robespierre ’s champion during the Reign of Terror . In the movie , Alexsandre skilfully portrays the titular hero sandwich as an erudite and impassioned ultra who tries to reshape his nation . It all eventually comes to an destruction with his death penalty via the guillotine .

This cinema was released in two parts on Gallic telly . It follows Louis Antoine Saint - Just from his clock time as a child to his role in the Terror when he pack on the role on the Committee of Public Safety . The movie has few critical review , but the interview seemed to love it , giving it a 7.5 out of 10 scores on IMDb , with all but 10 reexamination devote it a 5 or higher score .

7History Of The World, Part 1 (1981)

Mel Brooks Spoofs The French Revolution

Mel Brooks ’ send - up of the historical drama is a great comedy movie about dissimilar diachronic import , include the French Revolution . Brooks , of course , has always had an heart for retrieve those thing that make apparently serious genre ( repugnance , epic , western ) unintentionally uproarious . While the Revolution only contract up a part of this picture , it ’s memorable in big part becauseMel Brooks himself portray the poor Louis XVI .

It ’s a sincerely splendid spoof of the costume drama . It also remains a cult classicand pose a sequel over 40 years later on Hulu . Other than the French Revolution , the movie also has sections over the Stone Age , the Old Testament ( Moses and the 10 Commandments ) , the Roman Empire ( Julius Caesar ) , and the Spanish Inquisition ( which includes a call and dance number).History of the World , Part 1received mixed to negative reviews , but fans disagreed with the pundits , give the motion picture an 81 % unused rating for hearing score at Rotten Tomatoes .

Although each iteration of account Of The World is memorable in their own rightfulness , only one of the Mel Brooks classic can prevail as the best .

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6Brotherhood Of The Wolf (2001)

A Supernatural Horror Movie In The French Revolution

Though most films about the Revolution are either biopics or costume drama , this one is a small different . severalise in flashback by a noble about to be fulfill during the Revolution , Brotherhood of the Wolffocuses on a huntsman and his efforts to track down an elusive savage slaughtering citizenry in one of the province . It ’s a rather haunting movie , to be sure , though it also has present moment of excess that remain dated in hindsight .

One of the few films about the French Revolution that play out as a square horror story .

Christopher Gans proved his consummate directorial center in this motion picture , which is generally based on real - lifespan violent death and the caption of the beast of Gévaudan . One of the few films about the French Revolution that plays out as a straight horror narrative , it remains one of the best French revulsion pic of all time . For rooter who want a film about the war itself , look elsewhere , as this film only use it as a background for its horror tale . Brotherhood of the Wolfwon the Cesar Award for Best Costume Design .

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The Visitors_ Bastille Day (2016) - Poster

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One Nation, One King (2018) - Poster

One Nation, One King is a historical drama directed by Pierre Schoeller that explores the tumultuous period of the French Revolution. The film follows various characters from different social strata as they navigate the political upheaval of the era, leading to the abolition of the monarchy. Through their interconnected stories, the film portrays the complex and transformative nature of revolutionary France.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) - Poster

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) is a historical drama set during the French Revolution. Leslie Howard stars as Sir Percy Blakeney, a British aristocrat who leads a double life rescuing condemned French nobles. Merle Oberon plays Lady Blakeney, his conflicted wife, while Raymond Massey portrays the relentless antagonist, Chauvelin. Directed by Harold Young, the film is an adaptation of Baroness Orczy’s classic novel, blending romance, suspense, and adventure.

The French Revolution (1989) - Poster

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The Lady And The Duke (2001) - Poster

Napoléon (1927)

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Brotherhood of the Wolf - Poster

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