Danton (Gerard Depardieu) and Robespierre were close friends and fought in the French Revolution but by 1793 with the new Republic in place, Robespierre heads the "Committee For Public Safety" and has begun his now infamous "Reign Of Terror", flushing out any dissenting voices and sending them without hesitation to Guillotine. Danton, well known as a spokesman of the people, returns to Paris after his self-imposed exile to call an end to the bloodshed but in doing so makes a dangerous enemy of his former ally...

Oscar winning Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda fled his homeland and relocated to France to direct this powerful story about the ethical boundaries of power and leadership. The film won a BAFTA for Best Foreign film and garnered numerous other awards including a César (French Oscar) for Wajda for best director and Depardieu won the best actor award at the Montreal World Film Festival.