The 15 Best Movies About The French Revolution, Ranked - LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY (2024)

Summary

• Movies about the French Revolution are diverse, including costume dramas, horror films, comedies, and more, all set during this turbulent time period.
• Some movies aim for historical accuracy and shed light on the horrors faced by ordinary people during the French Revolution.
• Notable films on the French Revolution include “The Affair of the Necklace,” “Napoléon,” “Brotherhood of the Wolf,” and “Marie Antoinette,” each offering a unique perspective on this significant historical event.

Few events in Western civilization have been as important as the French Revolution, and French Revolution movies prove its inspiration throughout the years. This expression of popular unrest that toppled the monarchy and ultimately led to a bloody era of repression known as The Terror (and the rise of Napoleon) has proven to be fertile ground for movies. The films have been around since the silent era and remain in demand in 2023, with Ridley Scott’s Napoleon another addition to the historical subgenre.

While some filmmakers chose the genre of costume dramas to explore the issues of inequality and social decay, others are adaptations of famous works of literature, adapted from everyone from Charles Dickens to Baroness Emmuska Orczy. There are also horror movies and comedies based around this period. What they have in common is that they are set during this most turbulent period of French history. The best movies aren’t afraid to shine a light on the horrors that happened to regular people during the French Revolution.

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15 The Affair Of The Necklace (2001)

The Story Of The Necklace That Led To The French Revolution

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The Affair of the Necklace is one of those events that historians have pinpointed as leading to a gradual disillusionment between Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. In the real event, Marie Antoinette was falsely accused of attempting 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 eventually led to the French Revolution.

Several critics also accused the film of several inaccuracies concerning the thief.

The film of the same name is gorgeous, with all the trappings typically associated with costume dramas. It is a bit unusual in its casting of Hilary Swank as Jeanne, a notorious thief, given that she had never appeared in a costume drama. Critics slammed the movie, but audiences appreciated it more (15% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 42% audience score). Several critics also accused the film of several inaccuracies concerning the thief, Jeanne de Saint-Rémy de Valois.

14 The 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, angry mobs wearing their tri-colored co*ckades while fighting for justice, or major events like the Storming of the Bastille come to mind. The Visitors: Bastille Day (Les Visiteurs: La Révolution) is the rare movie that can find humor in such a tumultuous period. Heads may roll, but it was still lauded for being funny. It is also the third installment of the Les Visiteurs time-travel comedy series, which started in 1993.

The first movie was about a 12th-century knight and his squire time traveling to the 20th century. They continue to travel in time, but the second movie ends with the twist in that they end up in France during the French Revolution, and this movie is the next in line and picks up from that point, where Jacquouille and Godefroy have to escape the war and find their way back home.

13 One Nation, One King (2018)

One Of The More Historically Accurate French Revolution Movies

This French film, directed by Pierre Schoeller, shows three of the most important scenes of the Revolution: the Storming of the Bastille, the Women’s March on Versailles, and the execution of King Louis XVI. It also manages to depict the evolution of the government bodies, from the Estates-General through the National Constituent Assembly up to the National Assembly, giving time to different Revolutionary leaders such as Danton, Marat, and Robespierre.

This film can feel clunky but strives for cinematic grandeur and historical fidelity. It initially screened out of competition at the Venice Film Festival and was released by StudioCanal in France. One Nation, One King earned two award nominations at the Cesar Awards for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. As a smaller international movie, there are very few critical reviews. However, the main criticism is that the film does little to show the real revolution and focuses on the commoners standing up against the ruling class.

12 The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)

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

In some ways, the 1930s was a golden age for adventure films when various studios tried to push out as many of these swashbuckling films as possible. The Scarlet Pimpernel is about an English aristocrat who adopts a different identity to help save those being persecuted by the Revolution, and it is a perfect fit. The characters are perfectly cast, and while it might lack some of the adrenaline of more modern movies about the French Revolution, it’s still a lovely film from a bygone era of Hollywood.

Based on the novel by Baroness Orczy, already turned into a stage play by this time.

Based on the novel by Baroness Orczy, already turned into a stage play by this time, The Scarlet Pimpernel stars Leslie Howard as Sir Percy Blakeney, a man who leads a secret society that saves the lives of aristocrats from the French mobs who want them dead. This film is mostly a smaller movie about rebels during the French Revolution but is also a fun action adventure tale about overcoming great odds.

11 The French Revolution (1989)

A Six-Hour Epic Telling Of The Entire French Revolution

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So much happened in the French Revolution that most movies about it fail to capture the scope. This movie (originally titled La Révolution française) was made to commemorate the bicentennial of the Revolution. It was divided into two parts: Years of Hope (les Années lumière) and Years of Rage (les Années terribles). It captures everything from the beginning, remaining true to history while letting the characters have a chance to feel like real people. This is the only movie that encompasses the entire French Revolution.

The two movies 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 cast is huge, with the most recognizable faces being Jane Seymour and Peter Ustinov. Most historians praised the movie’s historical accuracy while also criticizing the film’s decision to remain neutral about the war, making it hard to find anyone to follow.

10 The Lady And The Duke (2001)

One Of The More Violent French Revolution Movies

While violence lurks just off the screen in many French Revolution movies, this one takes a few risks by showing the destruction 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 didn’t hold back in showing the revolutionary violence. However, it is a well-constructed film, and the narrative is full of suspense as the main character, an Englishwoman caught up in the Revolution, must try to stay alive. The movie shows more violence than other French Revolution films, but it also proves to be extremely realistic. The complaints about the violence might be the point here, as the movie shows the terrors of the war, and doesn’t ease back on its ugly truths.

9 Napoléon (1927)

A SIlent Era French Revolution Masterpiece

​​​​​​This silent film, written, directed, and produced by Abel Gance, is one of the masterpieces of early cinema and stands up well with most modern French Revolution movies. It follows Napoléon Bonaparte from his early military training through significant events of his career, such as his victory at the Siege of Toulon, his early romance with Joséphine, and his control of the army in the wars with Italy.

This first movie was ahead of its time, using things like fast cutting, close-ups, POV shots, multiple camera angles, and more.

The movie was restored to its original glory in 1981, a second time in 2016, and a more recent Napoléon film based on the true story arrived in 2023. However, this first movie was ahead of its time, using things like fast cutting, close-ups, POV shots, multiple camera angles, and more at a time when these techniques were just becoming known in the movie-making world. The movie was a very long 562 minutes, with mostly positive reviews, sitting at 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

8 Saint-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 movie about the French Revolution that has all but been forgotten. Directed by Pierre Cardinal, Saint-Just and the Force of Things follows the Jacobin leader Louis Antoine de Saint-Just (Patrice Alexsandre), who was Robespierre’s friend during the Reign of Terror. In the movie, Alexsandre skillfully portrays the titular hero as an erudite and impassioned radical who tries to reshape his nation. It all finally comes to an end with his execution via the guillotine.

This film was released in two parts on French television. It follows Louis Antoine Saint-Just from his time as a child to his role in the Terror when he took on the role on the Committee of Public Safety. The movie has few critical reviews, but the audience seemed to love it, giving it a 7.5 out of 10 scores on IMDb, with all but 10 reviews giving it a 5 or higher score.

7 History 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 different historical moments, including the French Revolution. Brooks, of course, has always had an eye for finding those things that make seemingly serious genres (horror, epic, western) unintentionally hilarious. While the Revolution only takes up a part of this film, it’s memorable in large part because Mel Brooks himself portrays the hapless Louis XVI.

It’s a truly glorious spoof of the costume drama. It also remains a cult classic and got 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 song and dance number). History of the World, Part 1 received mixed to negative reviews, but fans disagreed with the pundits, giving the movie an 81% fresh rating for audience score at Rotten Tomatoes.

Related Which History Of The World Is Better: Part 1 Or Part 2?

Although each iteration of History Of The World is memorable in their own right, only one of the Mel Brooks classics can prevail as the best.

6 Brotherhood Of The Wolf (2001)

A Supernatural Horror Movie In The French Revolution

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Though most films about the Revolution are either biopics or costume dramas, this one is a little different. Told in flashback by a nobleman about to be executed during the Revolution, Brotherhood of the Wolf focuses on a huntsman and his efforts to track down an elusive beast slaughtering people in one of the provinces. It’s a rather haunting film, to be sure, though it also has moments of excess that remain dated in hindsight.

One of the few films about the French Revolution that plays out as a straight horror story.

Christopher Gans proved his masterful directorial eye in this movie, which is loosely based on real-life killings and the legend of the beast of Gévaudan. One of the few films about the French Revolution that plays out as a straight horror story, it remains one of the best French horror movies of all time. For fans who want a movie about the war itself, look elsewhere, as this film only uses it as a backdrop for its horror tale. Brotherhood of the Wolf won the Cesar Award for Best Costume Design.

5 Farewell, My Queen (2012)

A Look At The Revolution From The Servants’ Point Of View

​​​​​​While most of the films about Marie Antoinette focus on the queen, Farewell, My Queen follows one of her servants, who finds her loyalties to her mistress challenged when the Revolution sweeps over their lives. Based on the novel by Chantal Thomas, the movie follows the final days of Marie Antoinette through the eyes of her young servant, Sidonie Laborde, with Lea Seydoux as the servant and Diane Kruger as the Queen of France.

Unlike many costume dramas, this film takes a rather detached view of its subjects, keeping the viewer away from the action. It also provides a new perspective on the way that the Revolution affected those who were not royal but depended on them for their livelihoods. The movie was a huge festival circuit film, although critics’ reviews were mostly mixed to negative.

4 A Tale Of Two Cities (1935)

A Charles Dickens Story Based In The French Revolution

Charles Dickens was one of the most famous and successful Victorian novelists, and many of his novels have been made into films. A Tale of Two Cities is a stately yet searing look into some of the fundamental hypocrisies that existed at the heart of the French Revolution. It’s a truly tragic romance about how even innocents can get caught up amid terrifying historical events that are far beyond their ability to control.

1935’s A Tale of Two Cities remains one of the best Charles Dickens adaptations to date, regardless of the story. There were other adaptations made over the years, including ones in 1958 and 1980, as well as several silent films based on the story as well. However, none matched this version, which received a Best Picture nomination from the Academy Awards, along with a second nomination for Best Film Editing.

3 Marie Antoinette (2006)

A More Nuanced Look At Marie Antoinette

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Marie Antoinette has the dubious distinction of being seen as one of the key figures of the French Revolution. Her conspicuous consumption and perceived lack of compassion were seen as key factors in the uprising. Directed by Sofia Coppola, Marie Antoinette takes a generous and nuanced view of the title character, portrayed by Kirsten Dunst. Starting when she was 14, the film shows her growing up and reveals how she ended up in the position she was in when the French Revolution began.

It’s a beautifully shot film, and it shows how this young woman was in many ways a victim of a system that cared little for her desires. Marie Antoinette also won an Oscar for Best Costume Design. French critics mostly praised the movie, but there was a disdain for much of the historical inaccuracies, although they were mostly in favor of the movie’s drama beats.

2 Danton (1983)

The Story Of A Key Player In The French Revolution

This French/Polish production takes Georges Danton as its subject, one of the key players in the French Revolution whom the Reign of Terror ultimately destroyed. Danton starts in the middle of the Reign of Terror and follows Danton as he returns home as one of the leaders of the French Revolution and a hero to the people, only to find direct opposition from the French statesman, Maximilien Robespierre.

It’s a haunting film, and Gérard Depardieu is masterful in his portrayalof the title character. It is a chilling reminder of the ways political movements that begin with the noblest of intentions are compromised by the frailties of the human ego. This remains one of the best French Revolution movies, winning Best Foreign Language Film at the BAFTA Awards. The movie remains a great sympathetic war story, but it is not very accurate to the real plight at the time.

1 Marie Antoinette (1938)

The Best French Revolution Movie About Marie Antoinette

Norma Shearer, one of the most glamorous stars of old Hollywood, put her stamp on the role of Marie Antoinette in one of the best French Revolution movies ever made. This movie is based on Marie Antoinette’s biography by Stefan Zweig, and it was also the last production by the famed silent film mastermind Irving Thaiberg before his death.

The movie earned four Oscar nominations, two for the actors.

Shearer’s combination of charisma and glamor proves a perfect combination to convey the complexities of the queen’s personality. It is also a tremendously beautiful film, a reminder of just how opulent the old Hollywood studios could be. The movie earned four Oscar nominations, two for the actors (Norma Shearer, Robert Morley), one for the art direction (Cedric Gibbons), and one for the original score (Herbert Stothart), although it didn’t win any awards. It was also one of the most expensive films made in the 1930s.

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