The Life of Emile Zola Page #3

of the old, struggling, carefree days...

...fighting for a foothold.

You can never go back to it,

and I've never left it.

Paul.

- Will you write?

- No.

But I'll remember.

- What's the matter, dear? Tired?

- No, no. Just thinking.

Cezanne's gone.

- Back to Provence.

- Yes, I know. I met him in the hall.

- You didn't quarrel?

- Quarrel? With Cezanne?

But he's taken something of me with him.

- The last of my youth.

- Oh, rubbish.

He said I was getting too famous

and too fat.

Well, what if I have?

I've fought my battles. I want calm, rest.

- From now on, I could look only backward.

- That's just idle talk.

Come, let's play a game of piquet.

Strange, isn't it?

Paul and I.

Well, life is tricky.

And I suppose we don't influence

our fate.

While we're playing piquet,

a starving mother and child...

...jump into the River Seine.

A servant forgets to extinguish a stove...

...and someone suffocates.

Who knows whose fate

may intermingle with ours.

Or when.

A shot is fired.

A letter is written.

- Rene, lay out my civilian suit at once.

- Very good, commandant.

Monsieur.

I want to see the military attach?

Colonel von Schwartzkoppen.

Sorry, His Excellency went to Berlin,

but he'll be back tonight.

- I'll leave this letter for him.

- Very good, monsieur.

- What is it?

- Look.

- Colonel von Schwartzkoppen?

- The German military attach? Interesting.

- The commandant should see this.

- Now, wait a minute.

What do you think of this?

Outrageous.

This should be examined

by the chief of intelligence.

Excuse me, colonel.

This is inconceivable.

We must show it to the war minister.

Gentlemen, come with me.

I think that will be all, gentlemen.

- Pardon me, general.

- Yes?

This is most urgent.

- It's a bordereau.

- Yes.

A list of our secret documents.

"I am sending you..." What's this?

"Notes on the 120 mm gun,

new plan on covering troops...

...changes in artillery formation,

Madagascar expedition...

...a new shooting manual for field artillery,

very difficult to procure.

I am about to leave for the..."

This accounts for the leakage

in army information.

- How did we get it?

- The usual channels, sir.

Our agent procured it

at the German embassy.

Well, gentlemen, the man who wrote this

is our traitor.

Now...

...who is it?

- He must be on the general staff, sir.

- One of us?

- Absurd.

Impossible.

Well, let's have a look at this roster

of staff officers.

"Record of officers...

Aaron D'Aboville." It's not you, I suppose,

D'Aboville, is it?

- I'll swear it's not, sir.

- Marvelous.

- It's like a confounded novel.

- "Aaron Cedibini."

No, no, no.

"Dreyfus."

- You found something, colonel?

- I was just wondering about Esterhazy.

Ferdinand, Count Walsin-Esterhazy.

He's a foreigner.

- A foreigner?

- Yes.

He's of Hungarian descent.

But his father was a general

in the French army.

Besides, Esterhazy's an infantry officer.

The man who wrote that is a gunner.

Gunner.

How about this fellow here?

"Dreyfus, Alfred."

I wonder how he ever became

a member of the general staff.

That's our man.

Sandherr, take action on it at once.

Very good, sir.

Commandant, send a message to Dreyfus

to report here first thing Monday morning.

Yes, general.

- Papa, the enemy advances.

- All right, fire.

- Don't forget, Maman, when the guns fire...

- I won't, dear.

- Wait, I'm not ready.

- Hurry, or your battalions will be repulsed.

Oh, not the French battalions, Papa.

All right. Here it goes.

Come in.

- A messenger from the war ministry.

- Show him in.

- Captain Dreyfus.

- Yes.

- A message for you, urgent.

- Thank you.

- What is it, dear?

- "Captain Dreyfus will present himself...

...tomorrow morning, 9:00,

at the office of the chief of general staff.

Civilian dress."

Civilian dress?

You know,

one of those general inspections.

But at that hour.

Isn't that strange?

Always worried.

- Captain Dreyfus reporting, commandant.

- Yes.

Just a moment.

Oh, no, no, gentlemen.

Experience has proved...

...that the 120 mm gun is...

Captain Dreyfus is waiting, sir.

- Seem upset?

- No, sir.

Evidently more of a scoundrel

than we thought.

Inform Commandant Dort.

He knows what to do.

- Yes, sir.

- Well, as I was saying...

...the 120 mm gun

is the most serviceable...

- Captain Dreyfus is here.

- Oh, very good.

Hurry, Brucker. Hurry.

- Henry.

- Coming. Excuse me.

- See you tonight, my friend.

- As usual.

Go to office number five.

He's coming.

- Captain Dreyfus.

- Yes, commandant.

- I'm to report to the chief of staff.

- Who is busy just now.

- Did you hurt your hand?

- Yes.

I have an important memo to write

for the chief of staff.

Would you mind, while you're waiting?

- Not at all. Gladly, sir.

- I'll dictate it.

Paris...

...the 15th of October, 1894.

- 1894.

- Monsieur...

- Monsieur.

...it is important that I regain...

...immediate possession...

...of the documents...

- Have you got that?

- Of the documents.

Which I gave you...

...before going on maneuvers.

What was that last word?

"Maneuvers," sir.

Consisting of a note...

Well, what's the matter, Dreyfus?

Your hands are trembling.

No, sir. My fingers are cold.

It isn't summer...

Keep your jokes to yourself.

This matter is serious.

- I don't understand, commandant. I only...

- Repeat the last word.

"Note."

A note...

...on the hydraulic brake...

...of the 120 mm gun.

- Gun.

In the name of the law,

you're under arrest.

Arrest?

- On what charge?

- Treason.

But... But... This is outrageous!

I've devoted my entire life to the army

and you dare to...

Why, this is an insult!

Satisfied?

Perhaps you'll tell me the basis

of this charge against me.

Obstinate, aren't you,

pretending you don't know?

All I know is that I'm innocent.

Your handwriting speaks against you.

I've been instructed to offer you

the usual alternative.

No.

I'm not so obliging, nor so stupid

as to provide you with a perfect case.

I shall live to prove my innocence.

Take him away.

Jeanne, get Papa's slippers

and house jacket!

I've got them.

- There he is.

- Papa! Papa!

- Madame Dreyfus?

- Yes?

I am Commandant Dort,

intelligence section of the general staff.

Go to your room, darlings.

- Yes, Maman.

- Yes, Maman.

- Yes, commandant?

- I have orders to search this house.

I don't understand.

- My husband...

- Your husband is under arrest...

...in the Cherche-Midi prison.

- Why, you must be mad.

- My husband left here this morning...

- And is now in prison, charged with treason.

Now I know you're mistaken.

My husband has given 20 years

of his life to his country's service.

A traitor? Why, how dare you.

- I'll call...

- You will call no one, madame.

You will serve your husband best

by being quiet and saying nothing.

If you don't, things will go badly for him.

Search the house.

Brucker.

- You'll find nothing.

- Your husband is very clever, madame.

My husband is innocent, monsieur.

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