Review of The Life of Emile Zola (1937) by Jordan P — 13 Nov 2018

Due to the disclaimer at the beginning of the film, I had no idea that this was based on the life of a real man. There are many points which he brings up that need attention, such as government censorship, propaganda, the plight of the poor and how they are in a system which pushes them into staying poor.

Censorship by government only leads to the removal of truth, however, it would be wise to also remember that when a nation is struggling, calling it's leaders into question can cause chaos, as is seen by the mobs that wanted to lynch Zola later in the movie.

The mob is not meant to rule, and justice is not supposed to be based on the word of someone in high circles having omnipotent opinions. Truth is truth and humans are fallible. The propaganda spread by the officers of the army in this film are a good example of how those in power can shape public opinion in their favor even if they are lying and wrong, and yet propaganda has its uses, as it is credited with lending a hand of success to us during at least World War II.

The government has its place, and there are many things in which the government has no place. The state answers to the people, not the other way around. As is seen in the beginning of the film, if there are no opportunities for the poor, they resort to crime and crime keeps them alive so they continue it.

If there is no way for the poor woman or man to succeed, poverty will beget more poverty, and yet our system of welfare as set forth by LBJ condemns the impoverished to stay in their place or they will receive no more benefits.

Is it not strange that we don't reward people for seeking employment, keeping it, and eliminating the need for government help in their lives? Well, if you are in government housing it's so expensive that you can barely pay for any other bills other than housing, and once you are able to produce enough income, they kick you out so someone else can be there, but then you have to pay the upfront costs of getting a new place of residence and meet the credit requirements and this is not possible so you end up homeless, you lose your job because it becomes too difficult to handle your personal life and the cycle repeats itself.

Only through a lottery break, like Zola had, can they even hope to break free, and that is a false hope of the most evil propaganda. Don't work hard and chance will bring you success. We literally preach laziness as social justice, and it's been 80 years now since this film came out.

As to the last part of this film, the Dreyfus affair, justice needs to be served at the cost of whomever it displaces, and it is a blight on the history of France that this farce ever occurred. For Zola himself, he was right in that you must stand for justice at all times and be strong in that stand.

The film itself is not a shooting masterpiece, but the score is pleasant and the poetry and dialogue present within it make up for any shortcomings the film otherwise had.