I Accuse!

"Based on the celebrated Captain Dreyfus case!"

1958 1h 39m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 7

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Alfred Dreyfus, a German-Jewish captain serving in the French Army, is falsely accused of treason and made a scapegoat for military espionage in an act of institutional anti-Semitism. Sent to prison, he becomes a cause célèbre for the novelist Émile Zola, who dubs it the "Dreyfus Affair." Eventually, Dreyfus is pardoned when the military cover-up is made public, and he returns to France. But his name is forever tarnished by the accusations of treason.

“Based on the celebrated Captain Dreyfus case!”

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Cast

José Ferrer
Captain Alfred Dreyfus
Anton Walbrook
Maj. Esterhazy
Viveca Lindfors
Lucie Dreyfus
Leo Genn
Maj. Picquart
Emlyn Williams
Emile Zola
David Farrar
Mathieu Dreyfus
Donald Wolfit
Gen. Mercier
Herbert Lom
Maj. DuPaty de Clam

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: José Ferrer
Writers: Gore Vidal
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 38% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

68 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by José Ferrer, shot by Freddie Young. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by William Alwyn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Frank Clarke shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

José Ferrer and Anton Walbrook and Viveca Lindfors carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Based on the celebrated Captain Dreyfus case!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

José Ferrer directs. Freddie Young behind the camera. William Alwyn scores. Frank Clarke cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 38% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
368 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Directed by José Ferrer, shot by Freddie Young. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by William Alwyn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Frank Clarke shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7José Ferrer and Anton Walbrook and Viveca Lindfors carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Based on the celebrated Captain Dreyfus case!".
9IMDB entry: tt0051754 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.