History Film / TheLifeOfEmileZola

''The Life of Émile Zola'' is a 1937 film about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Zola the titular French novelist]], concentrating on the last four years of his life and his involvement in the infamous "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_affair Dreyfus Affair]]". It was directed by William Dieterle and stars Paul Muni as Zola and Joseph Schildkraut as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Dreyfus Alfred Dreyfus]].

** The film shows Zola getting the inspiration for his novel ''Nana'' after a chance encounter with a streetwalker. In fact ''Nana'' was the ninth volume in what turned out to be a 20-book GenerationalSaga, and the character of Nana had been introduced as a child in book #7 of the series, ''L'Assommnoir''.

Emile Zola is a poor young writer in the Paris of Napoleon III, sharing a tiny attic garret with the painter, Paul Cezanne. He struggles in poverty until he gets a job with a publisher, which allows him to marry his wife, Alexandrine (Gloria Holden). Zola continues to write scathing, socially conscious novels, one of which gets him fired from his job with the publisher after the government of France takes offense. Finally he writes ''Nana'', a novel inspired by a prostitute he meets in a Paris cafe. ''Nana'' is a huge hit and makes Zola a wealthy man. The years pass, and Zola continues to crusade for justice and progressive ideals, but eventually he grows fat and complacent as a respected man of letters--until the Dreyfus Affair. Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut), an officer with the army General Staff, is accused of being a spy for the Germans based on little more than the fact that he is Jewish. Dreyfus is convicted of treason and imprisoned. After a plea from Dreyfus's wife Lucie (Gale Sondergaard) and the insistence of other writers, among them the great Anatole France (Morris Carnovsky), Zola intercedes on Dreyfus's behalf, writing the famous "J'accuse" open letter, and risking his own freedom and career in order to save Dreyfus from life imprisonment.

** In RealLife, Cezanne broke off a friendship with Zola that dated back to their childhood after Zola used Cezanne as inspiration for a novel about an artist.

''The Life of Émile Zola'' was nominated for ten [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscars]], which was then a record. It won three, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Joseph Schildkraut. Unlike many of the winners in the first decade of the Oscars' existence, it has retained its critical standing, and was inducted into the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry.

* {{Streetwalker}}: Nana, the whore that Zola and Cezanne save from a police raid. Her story inspires Zola to write ''Nana'', the book that makes him a success.[[note]]The real ''Nana'' is about a courtesan who ruins men's lives. Her one selfless act -- to return from Russia to plague-stricken Paris to care for her child -- leads to her death and horrible disfiguration as only Zola could describe it.[[/note]]

* {{Streetwalker}}: Nana, the whore that Zola and Cezanne save from a police raid. Her story inspires Zola to write ''Nana'', the book that makes him a success.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Someone who wasn't familiar with the Dreyfus Affair might wonder why Captain Dreyfus was selected to be the fall guy based on apparently zero evidence. The reason, of course, was that he was Jewish. Warner Brothers head Jack Warner, himself a Jew, insisted that Dreyfus's religion not be discussed in the film. However, when the General Staff is trying to figure out who the traitor is, Dreyfus's personnel file shows "Religion: Jew". The Minister of War's finger is pointing to that line as someone offscreen says snootily "I wonder how he ever became a member of the General Staff." The Minister of War then says "That's our man."

Creator/EmileZola is a poor young writer in the Paris of Napoleon III, sharing a tiny attic garret with the painter, Paul Cezanne. He struggles in poverty until he gets a job with a publisher, which allows him to marry his wife, Alexandrine (Gloria Holden). Zola continues to write scathing, socially conscious novels, one of which gets him fired from his job with the publisher after the government of France takes offense. Finally he writes ''Nana'', a novel inspired by a prostitute he meets in a Paris cafe. ''Nana'' is a huge hit and makes Zola a wealthy man. The years pass, and Zola continues to crusade for justice and progressive ideals, but eventually he grows fat and complacent as a respected man of letters--until the Dreyfus Affair. Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut), an officer with the army General Staff, is accused of being a spy for the Germans based on little more than the fact that he is Jewish. Dreyfus is convicted of treason and imprisoned. After a plea from Dreyfus's wife Lucie (Gale Sondergaard) and the insistence of other writers, among them the great Anatole France (Morris Carnovsky), Zola intercedes on Dreyfus's behalf, writing the famous "J'accuse" open letter, and risking his own freedom and career in order to save Dreyfus from life imprisonment.

See also ''Literature/AnOfficerAndASpy'', a HistoricalFiction novel of the Dreyfus Affair told from the perspective of Col. Picquart.

Émile Zola is a poor young writer in the Paris of Napoleon III, sharing a tiny attic garret with the painter, Paul Cezanne. He struggles in poverty until he gets a job with a publisher, which allows him to marry his wife, Alexandrine (Gloria Holden). Zola continues to write scathing, socially conscious novels, one of which gets him fired from his job with the publisher after the government of France takes offense. Finally he writes ''Nana'', a novel inspired by a prostitute he meets in a Paris cafe. ''Nana'' is a huge hit and makes Zola a wealthy man. The years pass, and Zola continues to crusade for justice and progressive ideals, but eventually he grows fat and complacent as a respected man of letters--until the Dreyfus Affair. Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut), an officer with the army General Staff, is accused of being a spy for the Germans based on little more than the fact that he is Jewish. Dreyfus is convicted of treason and imprisoned. After a plea from Dreyfus's wife Lucie (Gale Sondergaard) and the insistence of other writers, among them the great Anatole France (Morris Carnovsky), Zola intercedes on Dreyfus's behalf, writing the famous "J'accuse" open letter, and risking his own freedom and career in order to save Dreyfus from life imprisonment.

''The Life of Emile Zola'' is a 1937 film about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Zola the titular French novelist]], concentrating on the last four years of his life and his involvement in the infamous "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_affair Dreyfus Affair]]". It was directed by William Dieterle and stars Paul Muni as Zola and Joseph Schildkraut as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Dreyfus Alfred Dreyfus]].

Emile Zola is a poor young writer in the Paris of Napoleon III, sharing a tiny attic garret with the painter, Paul Cezanne. He struggles in poverty until he gets a job with a publisher, which allows him to marry his wife, Alexandrine (Gloria Holden). Zola continues to write scathing, socially conscious novels, one of which gets him fired from his job with the publisher after the government of France takes offense. Finally he writes ''Nana'', a novel inspired by a prostitute he meets in a Paris cafe. ''Nana'' is a huge hit and makes Zola a wealthy man. The years pass, and Zola continues to crusade for justice and progressive ideals, but eventually he grows fat and complacent as a respected man of letters--until the Dreyfus Affair. Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut), an officer with the army General Staff, is accused of being a spy for the Germans based on little more than the fact that he is Jewish. Dreyfus is convicted of treason and imprisoned. After a plea from Dreyfus's wife Lucie (Gale Sondergaard) and the insistence of other writers, among them the great Anatole France (Morris Carnovsky), Zola intercedes on Dreyfus's behalf, writing the famous "J'accuse" open letter, and risking his own freedom and career in order to save Dreyfus from life imprisonment.

''The Life of Emile Zola'' was nominated for ten [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscars]], which was then a record. It won three, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Joseph Schildkraut. Unlike many of the winners in the first decade of the Oscars' existence, it has retained its critical standing, and was inducted into the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry.

* ClearTheirName: Clear His Name, as Madame Dreyfus begs Emile Zola to take up her husband's cause.

* TimePassesMontage: A series of Emile Zola books pass by the camera, demonstrating Zola's long, prolific career as a novelist.

''The Life of Emile Zola'' was nominated for ten [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscars]], which was then a record. It won three, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Joseph Schildkraut. Unlike many of the winners in the first decade of the Oscars' existence, it has retained its critical standing, and was inducted into the NationalFilmRegistry.

''The Life of Emile Zola'' was nominated for ten [[AcademyAward Oscars]], which was then a record. It won three, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Joseph Schildkraut. Unlike many of the winners in the first decade of the Oscars' existence, it has retained its critical standing, and was inducted into the NationalFilmRegistry.

* ClearMyName: Clear His Name, as Madame Dreyfus begs Emile Zola to take up her husband's cause.

''The Life of Emile Zola'' is a 1937 film about [[Creator/EmileZola the titular French novelist]], concentrating on the last four years of his life and his involvement in the infamous "Dreyfus Affair". It was directed by William Dieterle and stars Paul Muni as Zola and Joseph Schildkraut as Alfred Dreyfus.

Emile Zola is a poor young writer in the Paris of Napoleon III, sharing a tiny attic garret with the painter, Paul Cezanne. He struggles in poverty until he gets a job with a publisher, which allows him to marry his wife, Alexandrine (Gale Sondergaard). Zola continues to write scathing, socially conscious novels, one of which gets him fired from his job with the publisher after the government of France takes offense. Finally he writes ''Nana'', a novel inspired by a prostitute he meets in a Paris cafe. ''Nana'' is a huge hit and makes Zola a wealthy man. The years pass, and Zola continues to crusade for justice and progressive ideals, but eventually he grows fat and complacent as a respected man of letters--until the Dreyfus Affair. Captain Alfred Dreyfus, an officer with the army General Staff, is accused of being a spy for the Germans based on little more than the fact that he is Jewish. Dreyfus is convicted of treason and imprisoned. After a plea from Dreyfus's wife, Zola intercedes on Dreyfus's behalf, writing the famous "J'accuse" open letter, and risking his own freedom and career in order to save Dreyfus from life imprisonment.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In the opening scene, Zola is trying to plug up the holes in the window of the crappy little room he shares with Cezanne. Later, when talking about the randomness of fate, he provides as an example how people can die from asphyxiation if a servant doesn't put out a fire. Zola is killed by carbon monoxide poisoning from a plugged chimney.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Someone who wasn't familiar with the Dreyfus Affair might wonder why Captain Dreyfus was selected to be the fall guy based on apparently zero evidence. The reason, of course, was that he was Jewish. Warner Brothers head Jack Warner, himself a Jew, insisted that Dreyfus's religion not be discussed in the film. However, when the General Staff is trying to figure out who the traitor is, Dreyfus's personnel file shows "Religion: Jew", and an officer's finger is pointing at that line when another officer offscreen says "That's our man."

** The real Alfred Dreyfus was freed in 1899, three years before Zola's death, and only after he agreed to accept a pardon that included admitting guilt. Dreyfus wasn't officially exonerated of the charges against him (which were definitely false) until 1906.

Emile Zola is a struggling writer in the Paris of Napoleon III, sharing a tiny attic garret with the painter, Paul Cezanne. He struggles in poverty until he gets a job with a publisher, which allows him to marry his wife, Alexandrine (Gale Sondergaard). Zola continues to write scathing, socially conscious novels, one of which gets him fired from his job with the publisher after the government of France takes offense. Finally he writes ''Nana'', a novel inspired by a prostitute he meets in a Paris cafe. ''Nana'' is a huge hit and makes Zola a wealthy man. The years pass, and Zola continues to crusade for justice and progressive ideals, but eventually he grows fat and complacent as a respected man of letters--until the Dreyfus Affair. Captain Alfred Dreyfus, an officer with the army General Staff, is accused of being a spy for the Germans based on little more than the fact that he is Jewish. Dreyfus is convicted of treason and imprisoned. After a plea from Dreyfus's wife, Zola intercedes on Dreyfus's behalf, writing the famous "J'accuse" open letter, and risking his own freedom and career in order to save Dreyfus from life imprisonment.

* ExecutiveMeddling / GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Someone who wasn't familiar with the Dreyfus Affair might wonder why Captain Dreyfus was selected to be the fall guy based on apparently zero evidence. The reason, of course, was that he was Jewish. Warner Brothers head Jack Warner, himself a Jew, insisted that Dreyfus's religion not be discussed in the film. However, when the General Staff is trying to figure out who the traitor is, Dreyfus's personnel file shows "Religion: Jew", and an officer's finger is pointing at that line when another officer offscreen says "That's our man."

''The Life of Emile Zola'' was nominated for ten [[AcademyAward]]s, which was then a record. It won three, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Joseph Schildkraut. Unlike many of the winners in the first decade of the Oscars' existence, it has retained its critical standing, and was inducted into the NationalFilmRegistry.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The film opens with a disclaimer basically admitting that most of the movie is fictional. ** The real Alfred Dreyfus was freed in 1899, three years before Zola's death, and only after he agreed to accept a pardon that included admitting guilt. Dreyfus wasn't officially exonerated of the charges against him (which were definitely false) until 1906.