French revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre defended "state terror" in 1794, claiming virtue came through political violence. The film examines Robespierre's year in charge of the Committee Of Public Safety, combining drama, archive, and interviews. It features contrasting views on Robespierre's legacy from Slavoj Zizek and Simon Schama, and is based on original sources, following the Committee's life-and-death politics during "Year Two" of the new Republic.
Terror! Robespierre and the French Revolution
Maximilien Robespierre's 1794 defense of "state terror" posits that political violence is a means to achieve virtue, having a lasting impact on world history.