Set in the 1794 , the second year of the French republic formed after the execution of Louis XVI , this film portrays the power struggle between the revolutionary leader Robespierre (a commanding and cold performance by Richard Basehart) along with Saint Just (Jess Baker) versus other leaders as François Barras (Richard Hart) , Fouche (Arnold Moss) and Danton who are opposed to "The Reign Of Terror" and attempt to persuade Robespierre to curb the bloodletting . All of them participated in overthrowing of king Louis XVI and the proclamation of the Republic ; however , nowadays , they are ferocious enemies which has resulted in the gallows of thousands of citizens, who are thought to be opposed to a bloody Revolution and mainly executed by guillotine . At the beginning the moderate revolutionary Danton (Wade Crosby) has returned to Paris from his country seat where he has been since being deposed as leader of the Committee of Public Safety in the previous year by Robespierre . But Robespierre and the Committee are afraid that the popularity of Danton will lead to them being overthrown , and put Danton and his supporters on trial for being traitors and finally guillotined . Along the way Robespierrre is desperately looking for his black book , a death list of those marked for the guillotine . Robespierre was a powerful figure in the French Revolution and the subsequent Reign of Terror , and this Book results to be a fundamental key to eliminate him , and eventually avoid to emerge as the country's dictator . Robespierre hopes his agents will recover it , but , if it falls in to the enemy hands : Charles D'Aubigny (Robert Cumming) , it would mean his political ruin and death . Some revolutionary people : Fouche , Tallien , Barras opposed to Robespierre attempt to take the valuable book .
The picture especially narrates the happenings surrounding the robbing of the Robespierre's book and his facing off other main figures , one-time revolution partners , and their posterior fall and execution . Historic film with also fictitious plot concerning the struggles among two greatest figures of French revolution , as notorious leaders are opposed to "The Reign Of Terror" which has resulted in the executions of thousands of citizens by guillotine , as during French revolution Robespierre is confronting other leaders to create a ruthless dictatorship for himself . The film is partially based on real deeds and apperance of famous revolutionary roles , they are the following ones : Danton (1759-1794) as lawyer , being Minister of Justice in the Convention (1792) and founder of Cordeliers club who proposed creation revolutionary committees as the Public Salvation Committee which he presided but was substituted by Robespierre , starting a period of revolutionary dictatorship known as ¨the Terror¨(1793) , along with the Jacobin Saint Just , the scheming Fouché , Barras and final brief intervention by Napoleon Bonaparte . Historically accurate film regarding the Reign of Terror what the film does is to concentrate on the behind-the-scenes meetings of the Committees and the scenes in the National Assembly as well as a twisted and supenseful intrigue about a missing Book , which Robespierre is stubbornly looking for , the reason for containing a death list of those marked by him for the guillotine . As action , thriller and suspense is maintained along the inside shops, noisy inns , a countryside house and other activities on the streets of Paris . Main and support cast cast are frankly good as starring : Robert Cummins , the gorgeous Arlene Dahl . While Richard Basehart is truly outstanding as the icily determined Robespierre and Arnold Moos steals the show as the suspicious Fouché , as well a Richard Hart who brings the full-bodied Barras to life , also in secondary roles turn up awesome actors as the incombustible Norman Lloyd as Tallien , Jess Barker as Saint Just , Charles McGraw as a Sergeant, Beulah Bondi and the uncredited child Russ Tamblyn , among others .
It packs atmospheric cinematography in black of white and in Noir style with plenty of lights and shades by John Alton who along with Nicolas Musuruka and John Seitz were the essential Noir Film's cameramen . As well as stirring and moving musical score by Sol Kaplan . This Eagle-Lion Films/Walter Wanger/William Cameron Menzies production was competently directed by Anthony Mann . This great filmmaker Mann was an expert on all kinds of genres as Thriller/Film Noir such as : Desperate , T Men , Raw Deal , Border incident ; Wartime as Strategic Air command , Men in war , Heroes of Telemark ; Historical and biographical : Reign of terror , El Cid , The fall of the Roman empire , The Glenn Miller story ; and outstanding in Western genre as Devil's doorway with Robert Taylor , The tin star with Henry Fonda , Man of the West with Gary Cooper , The Furies with Barbara Stanwick , Cimarron with Glenn Ford and The tall target .Being his last one : A Dandy in aspic , played and co-directed by Laurence Harvey . Rating : 7/10 . Better than average . Well worth watching . The picture will appeal to historial film aficionados .
The picture especially narrates the happenings surrounding the robbing of the Robespierre's book and his facing off other main figures , one-time revolution partners , and their posterior fall and execution . Historic film with also fictitious plot concerning the struggles among two greatest figures of French revolution , as notorious leaders are opposed to "The Reign Of Terror" which has resulted in the executions of thousands of citizens by guillotine , as during French revolution Robespierre is confronting other leaders to create a ruthless dictatorship for himself . The film is partially based on real deeds and apperance of famous revolutionary roles , they are the following ones : Danton (1759-1794) as lawyer , being Minister of Justice in the Convention (1792) and founder of Cordeliers club who proposed creation revolutionary committees as the Public Salvation Committee which he presided but was substituted by Robespierre , starting a period of revolutionary dictatorship known as ¨the Terror¨(1793) , along with the Jacobin Saint Just , the scheming Fouché , Barras and final brief intervention by Napoleon Bonaparte . Historically accurate film regarding the Reign of Terror what the film does is to concentrate on the behind-the-scenes meetings of the Committees and the scenes in the National Assembly as well as a twisted and supenseful intrigue about a missing Book , which Robespierre is stubbornly looking for , the reason for containing a death list of those marked by him for the guillotine . As action , thriller and suspense is maintained along the inside shops, noisy inns , a countryside house and other activities on the streets of Paris . Main and support cast cast are frankly good as starring : Robert Cummins , the gorgeous Arlene Dahl . While Richard Basehart is truly outstanding as the icily determined Robespierre and Arnold Moos steals the show as the suspicious Fouché , as well a Richard Hart who brings the full-bodied Barras to life , also in secondary roles turn up awesome actors as the incombustible Norman Lloyd as Tallien , Jess Barker as Saint Just , Charles McGraw as a Sergeant, Beulah Bondi and the uncredited child Russ Tamblyn , among others .
It packs atmospheric cinematography in black of white and in Noir style with plenty of lights and shades by John Alton who along with Nicolas Musuruka and John Seitz were the essential Noir Film's cameramen . As well as stirring and moving musical score by Sol Kaplan . This Eagle-Lion Films/Walter Wanger/William Cameron Menzies production was competently directed by Anthony Mann . This great filmmaker Mann was an expert on all kinds of genres as Thriller/Film Noir such as : Desperate , T Men , Raw Deal , Border incident ; Wartime as Strategic Air command , Men in war , Heroes of Telemark ; Historical and biographical : Reign of terror , El Cid , The fall of the Roman empire , The Glenn Miller story ; and outstanding in Western genre as Devil's doorway with Robert Taylor , The tin star with Henry Fonda , Man of the West with Gary Cooper , The Furies with Barbara Stanwick , Cimarron with Glenn Ford and The tall target .Being his last one : A Dandy in aspic , played and co-directed by Laurence Harvey . Rating : 7/10 . Better than average . Well worth watching . The picture will appeal to historial film aficionados .