Although the French have given us so much--rude waiters, pompous film directors, long bread--we can't really credit them with the invention of a machine for beheading; that distinction belongs to the refined Scots, circa 1564. The French, however, made their "guillotine" famous in the aftermath of the French Revolution during Robespierre's Reign of Terror in the early 1790's. Narrated by Stacy Keach, this intriguing look at the history of the neck razor, replete with interesting facts (the last beheading in France was not in the 1790's but rather in the 1970's), dramatic re-enactments, and lots of sound effects reminiscent of a machete cutting through a cantaloupe, is a bit on the sensationalized side. Still, lack of similar material and the assured popularity of the subject make this recommended for larger collections. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)
The Guillotine
(WinStar, 50 min., $19.98) Vol. 12, Issue 3
The Guillotine
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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