The Life of Emile Zola

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

1937 1h 56m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 162

DramaHistory

Synopsis

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A fictionalized account of famous French writer Émile Zola and his involvement in the Dreyfus Affair. After struggling to establish himself, Zola wins success documenting the unsavory side of Paris and settles into a comfortable upper-class life. However, his complacency is shaken when Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus is imprisoned for espionage. Realizing that Dreyfus is an innocent victim of anti-Semitism, Zola boldly pens an exposé, only to be charged with libel and now he must defend himself in a dramatic courtroom testimony.

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

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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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: William Dieterle
Writers: Norman Reilly Raine, Heinz Herald, Geza Herczeg
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

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 / 7

ERA

Did you know

89 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by William Dieterle, shot by Tony Gaudio. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Paul Muni and Gale Sondergaard and Joseph Schildkraut carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He'll hold you in silence as deep as your emotions!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0029146 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

William Dieterle directs. Tony Gaudio behind the camera. Max Steiner scores. Warren Low cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

189 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by William Dieterle, shot by Tony Gaudio. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Max Steiner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Warren Low shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Paul Muni and Gale Sondergaard and Joseph Schildkraut carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "He'll hold you in silence as deep as your emotions!".
7IMDB entry: tt0029146 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 9 themes, including "biography", "scandal", "historical figure", "black and white".

The technical file

Cinematography: Tony Gaudio
Original score: Max Steiner
Editing: Warren Low
Costume design: Milo Anderson
Makeup / hair: Perc Westmore
Runtime: 116 min · 1h 56m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Picture

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

William Dieterle

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-05-13
★ 7/10
Emile Zola liked nothing better than an opportunity to cause a bit of scandal and over the years that made him a wealthy man, but earned him the enmity of pretty much all of the Establishment. France was still finding it's political feet with the second empire giving way to the third republic, the Germans were across the border heavily armed and the French military under considerable pressure to keep their country safe. It was this last point that led to the infamous "Dreyfus" affair. The High Command essentially framing a young officer (Joseph Schildkraut) for treason and banishing him to the aptly named Devil's Island. There's some disquiet about this process in Paris and Zola (Paul Muni) decides that only he has the profile (and the wit) to make some accusations that will see him in court defending a libel action whilst giving him a well publicised platform to criticise the army's behaviour. The busy courtroom drama that ensues serves well to illustrate the difficulties in fighting for the truth when the state and the generals have no interest in perpetuating this story. It's also at this stage that the film is at its most entertainingly combative. Donald Crisp is quite effective as his defence solicitor and the assemblage of familiar faces on the unformed side - notably Louis Calhern, show us just how devious and malevolent these people can be when they are turned upon. It's a bit verbose at times, but then it is about a writer, and the ending is all a bit rushed. It's not really a story about the life of this acclaimed author, it's more a critique on the trial and on the state of France justice. I could have done with a little more about what made him tick but William Dieterle chose the more dramatic and straightforward path. That's a pity, but Muni and the sparingly used Schildkraut both deliver well.

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