Wajda’s Danton, where he cast Polish actors as Robespierre and his circle, and French actors as Danton and his circle, got heavily reviewed in the United States in the mid-1980s, mostly because it was perceived as both anti-communist, and anti-French Revolution. Yes, Danton and his circle are obvious stand ins for the democratic west, and Robespierre and his circle are obvious stand ins for the communist east. But, as with all of Wajda’s films, it’s much more complex than that. Ironically, the big, blustery French actor Gerard Depardieu, who plays Danton, is now a Russian citizen. Why? He wanted to get away from socialism (high French taxes).