Post by snsurone on Jul 14, 2019 12:20:30 GMT
On this day, 230 years ago, the French populance stormed the infamous French prison, freeing the (admittingly few inmates) and eventually tearing the building down, brick by brick.
Unfortunately, their leaders were self-serving despots (especially Robespierre), and what followed was the Reign of Terror when many innocent people were guillotined, even if they only spoke to the "aristocracy'.
To keep with the theme of this board, a number of movies were made about the French Revolution, such as D. W. Griffith's ORPHANS OF THE STORM, and several versions of Dicken's novel "A Tale of Two Cities", the best one being the 1935 film starring Ronald Colman as Sydney Carton.
Funny thing about that movie; Sydney Carton subbed for Charles Darnay because of their physical resemblance, yet Colman and Donald Woods didn't look anything alike.
Still, it's a great movie, with the best performance, IMHO, by Blanche Yurka as the evil Mme. DeFarge.
Anyway, the Reign of Terror ended with the execution of Robespierre, and the First Republic floundered, until Napoleon 1 took power, and then there was the First Empire.
Unfortunately, their leaders were self-serving despots (especially Robespierre), and what followed was the Reign of Terror when many innocent people were guillotined, even if they only spoke to the "aristocracy'.
To keep with the theme of this board, a number of movies were made about the French Revolution, such as D. W. Griffith's ORPHANS OF THE STORM, and several versions of Dicken's novel "A Tale of Two Cities", the best one being the 1935 film starring Ronald Colman as Sydney Carton.
Funny thing about that movie; Sydney Carton subbed for Charles Darnay because of their physical resemblance, yet Colman and Donald Woods didn't look anything alike.
Still, it's a great movie, with the best performance, IMHO, by Blanche Yurka as the evil Mme. DeFarge.
Anyway, the Reign of Terror ended with the execution of Robespierre, and the First Republic floundered, until Napoleon 1 took power, and then there was the First Empire.