The Guillotine
A Complete History of the Notorious Death Machine.
1996 · 50m Documentary, History
Overview
The Guillotine examines the fascinating and bizarre history of the "national razor" that started out strictly for execution and then became a source of entertainment and amusement. In Scotland they called it "the Maiden," in England "the Halifax Gibbet," and in France "the Machine," "the Widow," and "the Guillotine." It existed for hundreds of years, but found its home in France during the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror when nearly 20,000 men, women and children died beneath its blade. Through dramatic reenactments and archival documentation of famous executions, the program explores the early technology of the guillotine and its bloodstained career throughout Europe.
Director and cast
- Stacy Keach as Narrator (Voice)
- Whitney Alves as Re-creations
- Stephen Cornwell as Re-creations
- Tommy Elledge II as Re-creations
- Nickolena Gibbons-Elledge as Re-creations
- Kenneth Sollazzo as Re-creations
- Tim Redmond as Re-creations
- Jeffrey Scott as Re-creations
- Tanya R. Tollefson as Re-creations
- Eli Borggraefe as Re-creations
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