I Accuse (1938)
"J'accuse!" (original title)

After serving in the trenches of World War I, Jean Diaz recoils with such horror that he renounces love and personal pleasure to immerse himself in scientific research, seeking a machine to... See full summary »

Director:

Abel Gance

Writers:

Abel Gance (scenario & adaptation), Steve Passeur (adaptation)

Stars:

Victor Francen, Line Noro, Marie Lou

Cast

Credited cast:
Victor Francen	...	Jean Diaz
Line Noro	...	Edith
Marie Lou	...	Flo
Jean-Max	...	Henri Chimay
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Amiot	...	Le capitaine
Jean-Louis Barrault
Marcel Delaître	...	François Laurin (as Delaître)
Renée Devillers	...	Helene
Romuald Joubé	...	Jean Diaz
André Nox	...	Leotard
Georges Rollin	...	Pierre Fonds
Georges Saillard	...	Giles Tenant

Storyline

After serving in the trenches of World War I, Jean Diaz recoils with such horror that he renounces love and personal pleasure to immerse himself in scientific research, seeking a machine to prevent war. He thinks he has succeeded, but the government subverts his discovery, and Europe slides with seeming inevitability toward World War II. In desperation, Diaz summons the ghosts of the war dead from the graves and fields of France to give silent, accusing protest.

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Plot Keywords:

ghost | soldier | french | world war two | anti war | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | War

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

6 November 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Accuse (That They May Live)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Forrester-Parant Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Features End of the World (1931)

User Reviews

A near classic.

An important film for its time with a powerful message that only fell on deaf ears when World War II went ahead. Unfortunately, the film was technically flawed with some campy moments and a messy story structure. Still, the ending is a classic.