Plot Summary for
The Life of Emile Zola (1937) More at IMDbPro »

Fictionalized account of the life of famed French author Emile Zola. As portrayed in the film, he was a penniless writer sharing an apartment in Paris with painter Paul Cezanne when he finally wrote a best-seller, Nana. He has always had difficulty holding onto a job as he is quite outspoken, being warned on several occasions by the public prosecutor that he risks charges if he does not temper his writings. The bulk of the film deals with his involvement in the case of Captain Alfred Dreyfus who was falsely convicted of giving secret military information to the Germans and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devils Island. Antisemitism played an important role in the real-life case but is hardly mentioned in the film. Even after the military found definitive evidence that Dreyfus was innocent, the army decided to cover it up rather than face the scandal of having arbitrarily convicted the wrong man. Zola's famous letter, J'Accuse (I Accuse), led to his own trial for libel where he was found guilty and forced to flee to England. Dreyfus was eventually exonerated and restored to his military rank. Written by garykmcd

Paul Cezanne and Émile Zola were friends when both were starting their careers. Through ups and downs Zola became financially successful long before Cezanne. He was married and had a successful career as an author. Paul Cezanne then decided to live in the country far away from the city, and told Zola not to be part of the establishment but to fight for truth and justice again. He is approached by Lucie Dreyfus, who's husband was unjustly court martialed and sent to Devil's Island because he was accused of betraying his country by disclosing military secrets. Written by Rosemea D.S. MacPherson

Struggling French writer Émile Zola is more concerned about exposing social and public injustices through his writing than he is about earning a living. However, he does ultimately become a success as a writer, and as a result lives a life of comfort and class. Late in his life, he, on the most part, places his life as a social crusader behind him. Late in the nineteenth century, French Captain Alfred Dreyfus, adamantly professing his innocence, is accused, tried and convicted of treason against the French republic and banished to Devil's Island. New information comes to light of Dreyfus' innocence, information suppressed by the French military in the name of protecting public morale and information which is brought to Zola's attention by Mme. Dreyfus. Initially not wanting to get involved, Zola decides to reignite his social consciousness by defending Dreyfus in the court of public opinion, at the risk of his own personal standing and safety. Written by Huggo

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