The Life of Emile Zola poster

The Life of Emile Zola

19371h 56mDrama · History
directed by William Dieterle

“He'll hold you in silence as deep as your emotions!”

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TMDB
6.7 / 10
156 votes
IMDb
7.1 / 10
9,894 votes
Rotten Tomatoes
92%

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Synopsis

A fictionalized account of famous French writer Emile Zola and his involvement in the Dreyfus Affair. After struggling to establish himself, Zola wins success writing about the unsavory side of Paris and settles into a comfortable upper-class life. However, Zola's complacency is shaken when Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus is imprisoned for being a spy. Realizing that Dreyfus is an innocent victim of anti-Semitism, Zola boldly pens a newspaper article exposing the truth, is charged with libel and must defend himself in a dramatic courtroom testimony.

Cast

Paul Muni·Emile Zola
Gale Sondergaard·Lucie Dreyfus
Joseph Schildkraut·Capt. Alfred Dreyfus
Gloria Holden·Alexandrine Zola
Donald Crisp·Maitre Labori
Erin O'Brien-Moore·Nana
John Litel·Charpentier
Henry O'Neill·Colonel Picquart
Morris Carnovsky·Anatole France
Louis Calhern·Major Dort