The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  This film is based on the life/work of French writer and activist Emile Zola. It starts out as a stand biopic, but then becomes a stirring courtroom drama, as it focuses on one of the most important events of Zola's life: his condemnation of antisemitism that led to the wrongful… More
  This film is based on the life/work of French writer and activist Emile Zola. It starts out as a stand biopic, but then becomes a stirring courtroom drama, as it focuses on one of the most important events of Zola's life: his condemnation of antisemitism that led to the wrongful accusement of army officer Alfred Dreyfuss, in what is known as the Dreyfuss Affair. Through tireless determination and effort, Zola helped to get Dreyfus exonerated, though he himself was wrongfully charged with libel, mostly because of corruption and shady doings. I had known little about Zola before seeing this, and was only marginally familiar with the Dreyfus Affair. The good thing about this movie is that you can still appreciate it without needing in depth knowledge prior to seeing it. It takes a fair amount of liberties with things, and unfortunately it fails to really point the finger at antisemitism, though it makes up for it by being a very stinging condemnation of mob mentality instead. Aside from that, this is a fine film filled with great music from Max Steiner, and some really goosd performances from Paul Muni and many of the supporting players, many who sometimes upstage him. I enjoyed this, but I might need to give it a second viewing, as I kept getting interrupted and didn't get to enjoy it in piece. For an oldie (depsite its flaws) it's pretty good. Give it a watch.

• jay n

  
  Creaky biopic of an interesting and worthwhile story. Keeping in perspective when it was made the film is not bad, Muni a fine actor when not in costume, say in Chain Gang, brings the hambone out as Zola ages and many of the rest of the cast are stiff and overly grand. However it is… More
  Creaky biopic of an interesting and worthwhile story. Keeping in perspective when it was made the film is not bad, Muni a fine actor when not in costume, say in Chain Gang, brings the hambone out as Zola ages and many of the rest of the cast are stiff and overly grand. However it is incredible that this middling film won Best Picture over the original A Star is Born, Stage Door and the Awful Truth!!

• Randy T

  
  Paul Muni is so good I'd have to invent a new vocabulary to adequately describe his performance. Fantabulous. Outstandnistic. Wonderical.

• Byron B

  
  A story of a great man. A story about justice, injustice, and the power of intellect to overcome corruption.

• Matthew Y

  
  Wow, I like to consider myself a true aficionado of film. I can watch and appreciate films from yesteryear without particularly enjoying them. I think I remain unbiased and generally try to absorb the movie. All this being said I find The Life of Emile Zola, which is a Best Picture… More
  Wow, I like to consider myself a true aficionado of film. I can watch and appreciate films from yesteryear without particularly enjoying them. I think I remain unbiased and generally try to absorb the movie. All this being said I find The Life of Emile Zola, which is a Best Picture winner and a film included in the collective book series 1,001 films to see before you die, to be a terribly made film. The lighting and sound are very poor, often this can be a normal issue for the time period but I've seen films far older than this (and not as highly regarded) with much better quality. The acting is dry and uninspired (I don't care what anyone says Paul Muni is the most overrated famed actor of his generation) with no one really gets into character, they just simply spit out their lines. The film is of course based on an inspiring true story of a French author who dared to fight the system even knowing the case was likely hopeless and he'd be subjecting himself to public scrutiny. A miraculous story no doubt but that alone does not a great movie make and there's little beyond the basic framework to be admired here. I don't think this would even come close to my top 100 films of the 30's. Possibly the weakest best picture winner I've ever seen (FYI: I have not watched Grand Hotel yet).

• Simeon D

  
  Despite a very long and slow courtroom scene in the middle, Paul Muni masterfully handles his role and leaves you feeling inspired. The Life of Emile Zola is a nice little Hollywood classic that you can enjoy and knock off your list. 89/100

• Ivan D

  
  One of the main reasons to see this mostly forgotten Oscar Best Picture winner was Paul Muni's great performance as the radical writer Emile Zola. Comparing this film to such colorful representations of Paris in many pictures, "The Life of Emile Zola" has depicted the… More
  One of the main reasons to see this mostly forgotten Oscar Best Picture winner was Paul Muni's great performance as the radical writer Emile Zola. Comparing this film to such colorful representations of Paris in many pictures, "The Life of Emile Zola" has depicted the said city not as a picturesque place, but instead, realistically portrayed filled with crumbling apartments, claustrophobic streets, and constant outrageous behavior of the mob. The highlight of the film is of course, the courtroom sequences, especially Emile Zola's delivery of his military defiance speech, but the final scenes have become predictable, as films at the time could not afford to film sequences that would not advance the plot, so if one would see a scene depicted with utmost normality, behold, something devastating surely will happen, and with this film's case, (SPOILERS, though it's a biopic) Emile Zola's death. Still, "The Life of Emile Zola" has rightfully shown the positive effect of freedom of speech, and the men who were more than willing to fight for it.

• Lord N

  
  I kind of liked this movie. if it had been any longer it would have absolutely sucked. I found that it was just the right length for me. The Performances by Joseph Schindelkraut and Paul Muni were superb. I enjoyed watching those two characters on screen. it wasn't a perfect… More
  I kind of liked this movie. if it had been any longer it would have absolutely sucked. I found that it was just the right length for me. The Performances by Joseph Schindelkraut and Paul Muni were superb. I enjoyed watching those two characters on screen. it wasn't a perfect movie by any means but it was a decent film overall. It loses some points for a few tedious moments but those moments were often offset by very decent ones that followed. It certainly isn't the best of the Best Picture winners. Final Verdict: it's great performances and powerful plot make it a good Best Picture winner. I agree with the Academy unless I see something better than this. which isn't impossible.

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