Start The Revolution Without Me (1970)

80% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(1,104 ratings)

Two French peasants are mistaken for a pair of aristocratic nobles in this historical situation comedy. Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland play the dual roles. Happy to be taken for nobles, the pair soon runs to escape the guillotine in the wake of the French Revolution's blood purge of the upper… More Two French peasants are mistaken for a pair of aristocratic nobles in this historical situation comedy. Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland play the dual roles. Happy to be taken for nobles, the pair soon runs to escape the guillotine in the wake of the French Revolution's blood purge of the upper class and royalty. Hugh Griffith play Louis XVI, with Billie Whitelaw as the amorous Marie Antoinette. The pair are chased by the evil Duke d'Escargot (Victor Spinetti). Orson Welles appears at the beginning and the end of the film as the narrator. Wilder and Sutherland encounter a variety of comical situations in their dual roles of peasants and blue-blooded eccentrics. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Bud Yorkin
Written By: Orson Welles, Fred Freeman, Larry Cohen
Genres: Classics, Comedy, Special Interest

In Theaters: Feb 14, 1970 Wide
On DVD: Jul 1, 2003
Studio: eRealBiz

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Seems like a Mel Brooks farce, but it's a Yorkin! Pretty zany.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
When at its best, it's easy to understand its cult status.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lucas M

Looks like Mel Brooks' material, anyway Start The Revolution Without Me is terrific and unforgettble!. Fresh.
AJ V

This movie may have a silly plot, but it's actually really hilarious, Sutherland and Wilder are great in this movie, and if you're a fan of either of them you'll like this movie. The story is zany, and a lot of fun. I really liked this movie.
cody f

Gene Wilder is a Genius! Not a great movie but the scenes where Wilder is acting like a crazy asshole make this film entertaing.Sutherland is good,but he is just a sidekick to Wilder.