The Life of Emile Zola

6.7
Low
19371h 56m

Directed by

Overview

A fictionalized account of famous French writer Emile Zola and his involvement in the Dreyfus Affair. After struggling to establish himself, Zola wins success writing about the unsavory side of Paris and settles into a comfortable upper-class life. However, Zola's complacency is shaken when Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus is imprisoned for being a spy. Realizing that Dreyfus is an innocent victim of anti-Semitism, Zola boldly pens a newspaper article exposing the truth, is charged with libel and must defend himself in a dramatic courtroom testimony.

Trailer

Top Cast

Paul Muni - Emile Zola in The Life of Emile Zola

Paul Muni

Emile Zola

Gale Sondergaard - Lucie Dreyfus in The Life of Emile Zola

Gale Sondergaard

Lucie Dreyfus

Joseph Schildkraut - Capt. Alfred Dreyfus in The Life of Emile Zola

Joseph Schildkraut

Capt. Alfred Dreyfus

Gloria Holden - Alexandrine Zola in The Life of Emile Zola

Gloria Holden

Alexandrine Zola

Donald Crisp - Maitre Labori in The Life of Emile Zola

Donald Crisp

Maitre Labori

Erin O'Brien-Moore - Nana in The Life of Emile Zola

Erin O'Brien-Moore

Nana

John Litel - Charpentier in The Life of Emile Zola

John Litel

Charpentier

Henry O'Neill - Colonel Picquart in The Life of Emile Zola

Henry O'Neill

Colonel Picquart

Community
6.7
145 votes
My Score
N/A
Login to rate
6.1
Low confidence
Bayesian
6.13
95% interval
±0.14
Ratings
145

Only 145 ratings so far. The current score has wide uncertainty. Treat it as a preliminary signal.

Why we're confident →

Where to Watch

Click icons to visit streaming services directly. Streaming service names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners.

Movie Info

Release Date

September 9, 1937

Runtime

1h 56m

Rating

NR

Genres

Drama, History

Director

All Reviews

Sort by:
Weekly Movie Picks, every Friday to your inbox