The French Revolution (La Révolution française)

Alas, Majesty, today Phoebus is eclipsed by rain

Your Majesty is our only sun

Sire, the compliment is over

I can't believe it ! They didn't even say one word to you !

Desmoulins and Robespierre, no talking ! Back in line !

The French Revolution "The Years of Hope"

And all that !

Your Majesty will make Fortune blush !

Dear Madame de Polignac, you bring me luck

Your Majesty has lost

Here I am, penniless again

Now I have to tell the poor man I can't pay my debts...

... so he'll have to do it.

After all, I am his wife !

The fact is, every day the country gets deeper in debt

The costs of the court...

The Queen's personal expenses...

Our participation in the American war of independence...

... which cost us 2,000 million livres

Frankly, the outlook is not very encouraging

What do you advise, Monsieur Necker ?

Sire we have two options :

First, default and let the consequences fall where they may

No, Monsieur Necker

- Your second option ? - Summon the Estates General

It's the only body capable of raising the taxes to pay the debt

But we haven't had to resort to that for 150 years

Sire, it's inevitable

This practice is quite uncivilized !

I'll have to ask Dame Etiquette the proper method of milking

Mother ! Look ! I can ride all by myself !

It's wonderful, darling !

And now, dear brethren, we're holding a meeting today...

... March 6, in the church vestibule

It's to draw up the List of Grievances for this parish

All men 25 years and older who pay taxes are invited to come and contribute

Our duty is to seize this opportunity to tell the King...

... the truth about what is amiss in his kingdom

I've had enough of lugging stones around to please his lordship !

- You want useless chores abolished ! - That's right !

And the salt tax too - when the salt we buy is rotten and full of dirt !

Please, give him a chance to write it down

As a doctor, I demand that taxation be shared equally

By what right are the nobles and the priests exempt ?

And why can only the nobility be officers ?

Free access to all military, civil and even church positions !

- Ecclesiastic ? - Exactly !

What are you writing, Camille Desmoulins ?

No more privilege, no more humiliation, and equality for all

And Liberty too !

"No more bread"

Too proud to say hello to your old friends ?

Someone thinks he's a bigshot !

I wasn't elected

Camille ! They're idiots. They don't know a thing

You're not at Versailles ?

Not this time - I lost.

Lucie, go to your room

You good-for-nothing ! If you try to see my daughter I'll have you whipped !

And arrested like a common criminal !

Sir, I beg you to believe...

... that I care very deeply for your daughter

Take my advice, Danton, get yourself elected as a Deputy for Paris

But do it now, or it will be too late

Look at the stuff being written : things are changing !

What change ?

Your kind and the clergy will always outvote the commons

- My kind ? - Yes, the nobility, Monsieur de Mirabeau

It's two against one, and nothing will ever change

That's what you think ?

I've been elected as a member of the Third Estate

How long can the ruling class cling to its privileges ?

The world is moving - look at America

Privilege will never be abolished

The best we can hope for is to spread the wealth around a little

I'm not giving up my career for that

Look

She has a sister

How about making a night of it ?

No, I have work to do and some friends are waiting for me.

Your noble ideas vanish quickly when a pair of tits comes in sight

Two pairs of tits

When did you add a "d'" before your name ?

Since trying to make money in this business ; any more stupid questions ?

That's for you...

This one's for you, and this too

I'll handle this one myself

Write a summary

A grain merchant who's claiming the right...

... to call himself Viscount Something-or-other

A bloody fool, but he pays well

Why are you attacking me ? I don't hoard food like some people

You know it Danton ! Tell them !

They've already killed a baker

Everyone knew he hoarded grain

I don't blame them

They ought to hang all these damned profiteers, to set an example

Cut out your usual speech, Marat.

This time it was Legendre, but I know he's honest

What difference does it make to a starving crowd ?

- Will she recover ? - Probably not

Besides, she has a broken neck

Gabrielle, I'm hungry !

Mirabeau was right. Things are changing

I should have stood for election

- Why ? - To be a Deputy for Paris

- Why ? You want to be ? - No, I need to be

That smells good

Action, Gabrielle... action

Have you ever in your life just stood by and watched ?

The more tempting the prospect...

... the more I want to get my hands on it

I believe that the three orders assembled here...

... will cooperate for the general good of the state

I declare myself the first friend of my people

And I welcome the representatives of the nation...

... it is my glory to command by divine right

That's Lafayette

The Marquis de Lafayette ? From America ?

Yes, my lord. The hero of the American War of Independence

Gentlemen. His Majesty has summoned you here...

... in order to remedy a deficit which has raised so much comment in Europe

- Who are those men all in black ? - The Third Estate, my lord

What is the Third Estate ?

Those who are neither nobles nor priests

That's a lot of people

It is thus my duty to demonstrate to you in detail...

... the absolute necessity of financial assistance

This is why you have received the rare privilege...

... of being assembed here in the Estates General

Each order shall assemble separately...

It's not Versailles, but it's comfortable without costing too much

- Have a seat - I prefer the bed

- You don't mind eggs ? - Not at all

- You're a lawyer, I hear - Like you

I made the mistake of moving to Paris

Too many lawyers, not enough clients

They want you to vote by order, right ?

The clergy plus the nobility make it 2 to 1

At that rate, we'll always lose

But if we vote as individuals, the Third Estate has the majority

Necker isn't stupid ; he knows what he wants

He means well, but he's a banker. And he's Swiss

The problem is they don't live in the same world we do

Well ?

It would be enough if the lower clergy, the poorest, join us

If nothing changes, they won't get any money - it's as simple as that

Remember ? At Louis le Grand ? Old Boiteux ?

- "What is the Third Estate ?" - "Nothing !"

- "And what does it want ?" - "Everything !"

It's so long ago

But you haven't changed

Always neat, with every hair in place

My one luxury. But you haven't changed either !

A number of the clergy have joined the Third Estate

They say they form 96% of the country and plan to form a National Assembly...

... without Your Majesty's assent

- Just as I predicted ! - Please, brother

The best solution, Monsieur Necker...

... would be to address the 3 orders...

... and inform them that their actions are illegal

Excuse me, Sire, but I feel the situation requires diplomacy, not confrontation

Our authority is all that's left, Monsieur Necker

Authority and obedience by force, if necessary

- What's happening ? - They won't let us in.

It's an outrage !

To the Tennis Court !

Back to the changing room, gentlemen !

Bailly ! Take the chair !

Silence !

Let us take an oath, here and now

To never separate, to reassemble wherever circumstances demand...

... until we've given France a constitution

I swear !

Therefore I declare void, illegal and unconstitutional...

... the acts of the so-called National Assembly...

... which is meeting despite my orders

I am the sole guardian of my people's welfare

And if you abandon me in such a weighty endeavor...

... it is you who will be abandoned, and not me

I order you to disperse at once...

... and return to the rooms set aside for your respective orders...

... to resume your meetings

Vive le roi !

By what right do you occupy that seat, sir ?

My name is Bailly - I'm an astronomer

Member of the Academy of Science and Member for Paris

These gentlemen have elected me President of the National Assembly

You've all heard the King order you to disperse !

I believe that the nation in assembly receives orders from no one

Go tell those who sent you that we are here by the will of the people

And we won't leave except at the point of a bayonet !

- They want to stay ? - Yes, Sire

To hell with them then ! Let them stay !

The Third Estate is not making a challenge to the monarchy, just an appeal

If you would recognize their legal existence to help you govern...

Wanting to share the King's power is treason

You should hang them all, as an example

But if the Third Estate has the support of the people--

Send in the troops