Muzzique: OSCAR

domingo, 5 de dezembro de 2010

OSCAR - 1937

MELHOR FILME

THE LIFE OF ÉMILE ZOLA

The Life of Emile Zola (Emile Zola) é um filme norte-americano de 1937, do gênero drama biográfico, dirigido por William Dieterle.

O filme narra a ascensão do escritor francês Émile Zola e seu envolvimento na defesa do capitão Alfred Dreyfus, um militar condenado injustamente sob a acusão de traição apenas por ser judeu. Na verdade, ele passa a se interessar pelo caso somente quando procurado pela esposa de Dreyfus, e desafia os militares publicando J'accuse, um manifesto a favor do capitão.

Venceu nas categorias de melhor filme, melhor ator coadjuvante (Joseph Schildkraut) e melhor roteiro.
Indicado nas categorias de melhor ator principal (Paul Muni), melhor diretor, melhor direção de arte, melhor diretor assistente, melhor trilha sonora, melhor som e melhor história original.

Le film évoque la vie d´Émile Zola, écrivain français de renom, à partir du début de sa carrière littéraire jusqu'à sa mort. On y voit son ascension en tant qu'auteur, mais on se penche particulièrement sur l´affaire Dreyfus qui défraya les manchettes de la presse française à la fin du 19^e siècle. Alfred Dreyfus est condamné et emprisonné injustement pour traîtrise. Émile Zola ira à sa défense, malgré l'impopularité que cette situation lui apportera.

The Life of Émile Zola is a 1937 American biographical film of famous French author Émile Zola. It depicts his friendship with noted painter Paul Cézanne, and his rise to fame through his prolific writing, with particular focus on his involvement in the Dreyfus affair. The film had its premiere at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles and was a great success both critically and financially; contemporary reviews cited it as the best biographical film made up to that time. It is still held in high regard by many critics. It is the second biographical film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

Struggling writer Émile Zola (Paul Muni) shares a drafty Paris attic with his friend, painter Paul Cézanne (Vladimir Sokoloff). A chance encounter with a street prostitute (Erin O'Brien-Moore) hiding from a police raid leads to his first bestseller, Nana, an exposé of the seamy underside of Parisian life. Other successful books follow. Zola becomes rich and famous; he marries Alexandrine (Gloria Holden) and settles down to a comfortable life in his mansion. One day, his old friend Cézanne, still poor and unknown, visits him before leaving the city. He tells Zola that he has become complacent, a far cry from the zealous reformer of his youth.

Meanwhile, a French secret agent steals a letter addressed to a military officer in the German embassy. The letter confirms there is a spy within the top French army staff. With little thought (and much antisemitism), the army commanders decide that Jewish Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut) is the traitor. He is courtmartialed and imprisoned on Devil's Island in French Guyana.

Later, Colonel Picquart (Henry O'Neill), the new chief of intelligence, discovers evidence implicating Major Walsin-Esterhazy (Robert Barrat) as the spy, but he is ordered by his superiors to remain silent, as this revelation would embarrass them. He is quickly reassigned to a distant post.

Years go by. Finally, Dreyfus's loyal wife Lucie (Gale Sondergaard) pleads with Zola to take up her husband's cause. Zola is reluctant to give up his comfortable life, but the evidence she has brought him piques his curiosity and he recalls Cézanne's parting words. He publishes a letter in the newspaper accusing the army of covering up a monstrous injustice. Zola barely escapes from an angry mob incited by agents provocateurs employed by the military.

As he had expected, he is brought to trial for libel. His attorney, Maitre Labori (Donald Crisp) does his best, but the presiding judge refuses to allow him to bring up the Dreyfus affair and the military witnesses all commit perjury, with the exception of Picquart. Zola is found guilty and sentenced to a year in prison. He reluctantly accepts the advice of his friends and flees to England, where he continues to write on behalf of Dreyfus.

A new administration finally admits that Dreyfus is innocent, those responsible for the coverup are forced to resign or are dismissed, and Walsin-Esterhazy flees the country. However, Zola dies of carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty stove the night before the public ceremony in which Dreyfus is exonerated.

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