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Dreyfus Reviews

1931
1 hr 20 mins
NR

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In 1894, French officer Alfred Dreyfus is wrongly convicted for the treasonous acts of another man, Major Esterhazy. When investigations begin into the dubious evidence used in the trial, an institutional coverup begins, aided by fears of army disgrace and anti-Semitic paranoia against Dreyfus. But a determined group, headed by prominent author Émile Zola, leads a mounting public call to reopen the Dreyfus case.

Stately and underplayed, with more plot animation than many British films of this time. A true-to-life rendition of the infamous case that shook France in the late 1800s, THE DREYFUS CASE stars Cedric Hardwicke as Alfred Dreyfus, the only Jew on the French general staff. When treason is discovered, blame is laid at his feet, and he is sent to Devil's Island. One of the greatest writers of his time, Emile Zola (George Merritt), feels that Dreyfus has been railroaded. He engages Georges Clemenceau, and they succeed in getting the former soldier a new trial. Although serious doubt is cast on the justice of Dreyfus's conviction, they still lose the case, and Dreyfus is remanded to Devil's Island. After several more years of imprisonment, the duplicity is uncovered, and Dreyfus, vindicated, returns to his first love, the army. The exceptional Merritt and Hardwicke lead a talented cast, and producer Kraemer and the reliable Rosmer do a decent job of directing here.