The French Revolution (2005)
Partisan Pictures

Description

On July 14, 1789, a mob of angry Parisians stormed the Bastille and seized the King's military stores. A decade of idealism, war, murder, and carnage followed, bringing about the end of feudalism and the rise of equality and a new world order. The French Revolution is a definitive feature-length documentary that encapsulates this heady (and often headless) period in Western civilization. With dramatic reenactments, illustrations, and paintings from the era, plus revealing accounts from journals and expert commentary from historians, The French Revolution vividly unfurls in a maelstrom of violence, discontent, and fundamental change.

Tags

French revolution

Collected reviews and ratings

9.0 Amazon user reviews

The documentary combines images, well-acted scenarios and informative interviews with academics including a compelling narration - it is also very well written, as it is tremendously difficult to cover such a complex event in a short time and do it any justice.
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8.0 mediascreen.com | Frank Behrens

A must for anyone concerned about how countries can be so easily led to disaster by arrogant leaders and dangerous ambiguous phrases.
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7.5 Fulvue Drive-in | Nicholas Sheffo

Though not as well rounded as it could be, this French Revolution has enough moments to make it worth capturing.
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7.0 New York Times | Anita Gates

For scholars, this well-done if not scintillating documentary, illustrated by dramatic re-creations and relevant artwork, may not hold much interest.
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6.0 needcoffee.com

This film is worth a rental if you have a specific reason for wanting a bit of knowledge about the French Revolution. If not, catch it on a rerun on the History Channel, or wait for something with a bit more detail and a bigger budget.
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