A historical re-enactment in the style of a documentary, the film received much acclaim from critics for its political themes and Watkins' direction.
Watkins once said of the film, "The Paris Commune has always been severely marginalized by the French education system, despite - or perhaps because - it is a key event in the history of the European working class, and when we first met, most of the cast admitted that they knew little or nothing about the subject.
It was very important that the people become directly involved in our research on the Paris Commune, thereby gaining an experiential process in analyzing those aspects of the current French system which are failing in their responsibility to provide citizens with a truly democratic and participatory process.
[5] J. Hoberman of Sight & Sound magazine wrote, "Watkins restages history in its own ruins, uses the media as a frame, and even so, manages to imbue his narrative with amazing presence.
[7] Dave Kehr, writing for The New York Times, called it "essential viewing for anyone interested in taking an exploratory step outside the Hollywood norms.