For a good chunk of his output in 1899, Georges Méliès committed himself to creating a series of short films detailing the events of the Dreyfus Affair political scandal, which was still progressing in France as the series was made. The serial, centering around Capt. Alfred Dreyfus who was accused of writing treasonous letters and discharged as a result, flared up the public which had already been divided into two groups: the Dreyfusards and the Anti-Dreyfusards (Méliès was one of the former). In the end, censorship was the answer--theater owners couldn't handle the disputes that the serial caused during showings. Thus, "The Dreyfus Affair" is now considered the first censored political movie.
"Suicide of Colonel Henry" may be my favorite film in the series, due to its incredibly realistic prison set, incredibly realistic gore effect (chocolate sauce?) and the incredibly well-played acting on the part of the actor (now unfortunately unidentified, alas). It also plays a major part in the development of the story. Apparently, Colonel Henry was the one who had framed poor Dreyfus, and having confessed under pressure, was sent to prison. His suicidal hesitance is well delivered in this surprisingly violent movie for the time. While limited within the constraints of the studio, Méliès always made sure his movies looked as realistic as possible, and this one still retains its realism today in its accurate detail.