The French Revolution (History Channel)

This is a careful, rational, and damming analysis of the French Revolution. Liberté, Fraternité, Egalité, is the goal. The result is overwhelming tyranny, vicious hatred, and horrible inequality. What happened?Chapters -1. Political Alliances2. The Enlightenment3. Madame Deficit4. Financial Crisis5. To the Bastille6. The Peoples Friend7. Foreign Assistance8. Death of a King9. Noble Blood10. Defending the Border11. Civic VirtueThis presentation gives background and context. The huge cost of supporting the American Revolution, the bitter winter, the foolish decisions by the King, the new enlightenment beliefs, the hatred of feudalism and aristocracy, all connect.The calling of the estates general, for first time in over a hundred years, and the resulting step-by-step revolution is well explained.Robespierre's change from opposing the death penalty to the foremost user is documented. Proclaiming the need for 'The Rule of Terror', in the name of 'Reason', is stunning.Rise of Napoleon and the war against Europe is shown. Europe and its aristocracy wants this new "enlightenment'' stopped. Napoleon wins, even though he loses. The enlightenment and the German revolt - Romanticism - change Europe permanently. Leads to Marx and the European wide revolts of 1848, the Paris Commune of 1871 (first modern communists), and then brings 1914 and Lenin in 1917.(See J. L. Talmon - ''Origins of Totalitarian Democracy'' - for an astute analysis. Also, Rosentock-Hussey - ''Out of Revolution'')Good combination of the impact of ideas and leading players. The French Revolution is a milestone on the road to the present. Many of the ideas, problems, conundrums, are still controlling modernity. Reason vs religion, individual freedom vs collective control, authority of the elite vs will of the majority, majority tyranny vs minority rights; all are still troubling the present. This is where it began.Watched with my ten year old grandson. He was astounded to see that terrorists started in France more than two hundred years ago.

The French Revolution is a History Channel documentary shedding light on one of the most important events of Western Civilization. The documentary follows a pragmatic, realistic, and in effect a more truthful account of the French Revolution by using many available sources in describing and discussing King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Marat, Robespierre, Danton, and events leading to the French Revolution (1789).The movie does a good job of transporting the viewer to 18th Century France and presenting the French Estates system.We get a taste (though a very light one) of France's involvement in the American Revolution (beginning in 1778).Moreover, we get to see and hear about some of the lies and propaganda that helped shift public opinion against the Queen as well as the fact that King Louis XVI did not wish to rule and was forced into that position following the death of his grandfather Louis XV.The film is also excellent in showing the raw brutality and excessive force of the Revolution.The only major setback is in relation to the History Channel's bias in openly shunning Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and scorning the French monarchy.Unlike many of the History Channel's recent documentaries with a biblical theme that are heavily biased, fictitious, and speculative, such as The Exodus Decoded, The French Revolution is very well written and very well presented allowing for a thought-provoking documentary that will provide food for thought well after it is over as it offers valuable insight into a very important period of French (European) History.The History Channel's The French Revolution is strongly recommended along with Napoleon the TV Miniseries (starring Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, Gerard Depardieu, and John Malkovich), Brotherhood of the Wolf (Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel), Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst), and Vidocq (Gerard Depardieu), as well as to a lesser extent Queen Margot (Isabelle Adjani), for those with a soft spot for French History.

I wanted a copy of this video. Excellent video. It was slightly used, but the quality was good.

I have nothing to add to the other reviews. This is an awesome documentary, extremely "entertaining". Professors' opinions were subjective however. For more in depth, grab a couple of books. But what i really liked about the documentary was the narrator's clear voice. I was wondering if the history channel ever followed up (Napoleon et al) using the same narrator? PBS's Empires-Napoleon is alright, but the narrator is not as enthusiastic, and plus im looking at a wider context, not just Napoleon's history. I know he shaped France in specific, Europe in semi-general, and the world in general, but i would still like to take off where this one left off. if anybody knows, plz list it in the page's forum or something. Thank you.If you want to learn about the French Revolution, and do not have time -or just too lazy- to read, get this. You will enjoy it immensly.

This is a very well-done, engaging documentary on the French Revolution. It is generally appropriate for school use, but be sure to preview it carefully, esp. toward the beginning, as it addresses Louis' (sexual related) medical issue. Depending on the age of students you are working with, you may wish to skip a minute or so at that point.This film is colorful and keeps your attention well. I highly recommend it as an excellent introduction to the French Revolution, or as a review to wrap things up.

Excellent documentary which is entertaining also

Unfortunately poor/bad government is an historic commonplace, experienced by all nations down through the ages. There are times however, when a nation's ruling 'elite' has become so irredeemably corrupt, unjust, incompetent but entrenched in power, that to ensure their own survival, the populace/citizenry must depose their degenerate rulers by force. All too often however, these social upheavals unleash periods of wild excess prior to the benefits later enjoyed. This 100min DVD documents one such time in recent European history, now remembered as the French Revolution.Beginning with the storming of the Bastille on 14'th July 1789, this documentary covers the underlying causes, the major events and the main personalities involved in those momentous events which first flared up in Paris; but soon spread throughout France and then Europe, some two centuries ago. It closes with the coming to power of Napoleon Bonaparte.This programme is both highly detailed and impartial, concentrating on the actual historical actions/events, without any 'Politically Correct' linkage or 'interpretation' so commonplace recently. I recommend this DVD to all wishing to know more about this crucial period, now regarded by many as the bloodstained birth of modern Europe, and even the modern Western World. The French Revolution [DVD] [2005] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC ] The French Revolution [DVD] [2005] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC

A rather pedestrian account of the French Revolution. Mostly talking heads and panning across paintings. No real insight into characters. On the other hand, it gave me the quick refresher I needed before reading the rest of "La révolution française" by Denis Richet and François Furet, which has the insight into character and the historical period which is missing in the movie but assumes (since it is in French, and most francophones are already familiar) that you are familiar with the basic facts.

Brisk, clear drama-documentary about the causes and events of French Revolution. A combination of historical analysis and dramatic reconstruction holds the interest of school history students and anyone else wishing to learn about this most cataclysmic of European revolutions.

Seriously! I was most disappointed. Did not even watch it to the end. This was to deal with the French Revolution. Did I really need all those intimate details about Louis and Marie's sex life? Did we need to see the sexual cartoons? Was it really necessary to insert that in order to invoke an interest in history? There was not even a rating on it. Add to this, the video jumps around terribly. Guess I should have known..it was created by the History Channel not an actual historical documentary.