The Life of Emile Zola

Rating

Director

William Deterle

Screenplay

Norman Reilly Raine, Heinz Herald, Geza Herczeg (Novel: Zola and His Time by Matthew Josephson)

Length

116 min.

Starring

Paul Muni, Gale Sondergaard, Joseph Schildkraut, Gloria Holden, Donald Crisp, Erin O’Brien-Moore, John Litel, Henry O’Neill, Morris Carnovsky, Louis Calhern, Ralph Morgan, Robert Barrat, Vladimir Sokoloff, Grant Mitchell

MPAA Rating

Approved (PCA 3212)

Review

The Life of Emile Zola is an intriguing portrait of a man whose influence and power to persuade brings him to the brink of catastrophe.

Paul Muni gives a standout performance as the French writer. His story begins in a cramped apartment bunking with famed painter Paul Cezanne(Vladimir Sokoloff). Not expecting to receive more than a paltry sum for his first anti-government novel, he’s surprised by its success and becomes a wealthy man off his pro-working man, bureaucratic rebukes.

While his success has mounted a tragic military affair has occurred. Suspected a government spy, decorated Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut) is sent to prison despite his innocence. When the truth comes to light, the military goes to great lengths to hide its blunder.

This entire event unfolds as Dreyfus’ wife Lucie (Gale Sondergaard), sure of her husband’s innocence approaches a semi-retired Zola to seek the truth about Alfred’s imprisonment. Emile reluctantly accepts the case but soon becomes entranced by the military scandal and produces his most famous novel j’accuse (I Accuse). Fearing his security, he flees to a more accepting Britain where he intends to live out his life.

Muni is terrific. His passion is surmounted only by his ability to influence his audience with words much like the impassioned author.He only improves as the film progresses easily modifying his performance as his character ages. When persuaded to return to France to expose the injustice through his own libel trial, Muni delivers one of the screen’s most rousing speeches.

Not to be outperformed, Schildkraut is equally fascinating. When his character, mirroring history, is released from prison and he looks back through the tattered belongings he was allowed to bring with him to prison, he breaks down in a poignant sorrow-filled display of joyful tears.

Film’s greatest power is its ability to bring to take real-life atrocities (even if slightly fictionalized) and create a modern parable. The Life of Emile Zola easily highlights the inherent corruption of power. In the hands of those who would abuse it, authority becomes a tool to exploit. It causes sane men to do irrational things and create turmoil where it is not needed. When those in command realize they have committed perilous blunders, they grip more tightly the scepter of power and attempt to prevent their impropriety from coming to light.

People like Emile Zola challenge the hypocrisy of those in power and help the world understand their malfeasance. The world needs more men with the courage to stand up to the government and act to preserve the sanctity of humanity that might otherwise be stifled and destroyed. The Life of Emile Zola reminds us of what that kind of responsibility can achieve.

Review Written

October 6, 2006