I Accuse! ** (1958, José Ferrer, Anton Walbrook, Viveca Lindfors, Emlyn Williams, Leo Genn) – 2020 Classic Movie Review 9493

Director José Ferrer’s 1958 historical biographical drama I Accuse! tells the story of the 1894 Alfred Dreyfus treason case, in which the innocent Jewish French army captain is is falsely accused of spying for Germany and defended by the author Emile Zola, but found guilty of treason to the French state and sent to Devil’s Island prison.

Ferrer directs himself from a solid, rather than inspired screenplay by Gore Vidal. Despite the distinguished acting (José Ferrer as Captain Alfred Dreyfus, Anton Walbrook as Major Esterhazy, Emlyn Williams as Zola, Leo Genn as Major Picquart), something has gone slightly astray.

This well-intentioned and good-hearted but dramatically shaky film is interesting, telling an important and fascinating story, though it is a bit of a disappointment, and it flopped at the box office. The main problem is that Gore Vidal’s script, from the book by Nicholas Halasz, is not as special as you would imagine from his pedigree.

Also in the cast are Viveca Lindfors, David Farrar, Herbert Lom, Harry Andrews, Felix Aylmer, George Coulouris, Donald Wolfit, Peter Illing, Michael Hordern, Laurence Naismith, Ernest Clark, Eric Pohlmann, John Phillips, Ronald Howard, John Chandos, Anthony Ireland, Keith Pyott, Michael Anthony, Arthur Howard, Michael Trubshawe, Carl Jaffe, Malcolm Keen and Charles Gray (in his movie debut as Captain Brossard).

It was shot at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9493

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