Year : 1937 Genre: Biopic Duration: 116 Minutes (1 hour 56 minutes)
The Life Of Emile Zola – An inspiring story of a man who proved that the pen is mightier than the sword!
Based on Matthew Josephson’s book, ‘Zola and His Time,’ this is a biopic of the famous French writer, Emile Zola. A crusader of truth, Emile Zola had written several acclaimed books in his illustrious career (during the late 19th and early 20th centuries). This is not a comprehensive biography of the writer but it effectively illustrates the defining moments of his life.
Emile Zola (Paul Muni), a struggling writer, lives with his painter friend, Cezanne (Vladimir Sokoloff), in a stingy apartment in Paris. Zola’s truthful writings often get him into trouble with the military rulers, who impose strict censorship on his writings. After crossing several hurdles, Zola attains fame and fortune through his immortal novel, ‘Nana’ – the story of a prostitute. When France is needlessly forced to go on the warpath, the fearless Zola unmasks the culprits behind this decision through his ‘Downfall.’
Cut to several years later when Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut), a Jew, has been wrongly convicted of treason and sent to prison. The Drefyuss Affair becomes the center of attraction and it reaches its high point soon after the entry of truth-seeker Zola. Publishing his famous open letter, ‘I Accuse,’ Zola compels the authorities to reopen the Drefyuss case, in spite of the opposition from all quarters…
Nominated for 10 categories, the movie won 3 Oscars.
Paul Muni’s towering performance—notably his over 5-minutes-long courtroom speech—is an unforgettable cinematic experience.
The film was shot in reverse order. Paul Muni grew his own beard, and it was trimmed and darkened as he proceeded to scenes where Zola is younger.
Zola's other key works are - L’Assommoir (1877), about the suffering Parisian working-class, and Germinal (1885), about the mining industry.
The film was criticized for its failure to address the issue of the anti-Jewish sentiments in France - the root cause of the ‘Drefyuss Affair.’
Fox Studio made this mega budget extravaganza, erecting over 50 sets with a typical assembly line approach.
This is the finest tribute to a noble man who spent his whole life in enriching others’ lives with his selfless thoughts and actions.
Written by
Srini