The Life of Emile Zola Page #4

Dreyfus found guilty!

Dreyfus found guilty!

- Dreyfus found guilty!

- What a fuss.

The whole country's in an uproar

over this Dreyfus.

Nice, fresh langoustes.

- Shall we get some?

- Shall we? I should say so.

These are not fresh-caught.

They're fish, cher monsieur.

All our goods are fresh.

Have I eaten lobsters for years for nothing?

Observe, my dear. His shell is slick.

He's a grand-pre, that one,

and long from the sea.

But here's a nice, juicy young bachelor

whose shell is dry and rough.

He'll leap into your gullet and sing

a chantey as he goes down.

- Am I right?

- Lf every customer was like him...

You'd never sell your old stock.

- Emile! Emile!

- Hello!

Charpentier!

Alexandrine, there's Charpentier

and Madame Charpentier.

Alexandrine, you know Anatole France,

don't you?

This is Monsieur Scheurer-Kestner,

our last senator from Alsace.

Smell this. Smell this. Smell this.

Beautiful. We're having this bachelor and

his whole family for dinner. Will you come?

Kill the traitor, Dreyfus! Kill the traitor,

Dreyfus! Kill the traitor, Dreyfus!

Kill the traitor, Dreyfus!

Kill the traitor, Dreyfus!

Suppose Dreyfus is innocent, as he claims.

It would be too dreadful.

Impossible, madame. French justice

today doesn't make mistakes.

Company... arms!

"In the name of the people of France...

...Alfred Dreyfus, captain

of the 14th regiment of artillery...

...having been found guilty of treason

by unanimous vote of the court-martial...

...is condemned to deportation for life.

The court-martial orders that prior

to this sentence being carried out...

...Captain Dreyfus shall be paraded

before the garrison of Paris...

...and publicly degraded

and dismissed from service...

...according to the code of military law...

...forfeiting his decorations

and privileges...

...and the right to bear arms forever."

In the name of the French people,

we deprive you of your rank.

You are unworthy

of wearing the uniform.

I'm innocent.

By my wife and my children,

I swear I'm innocent.

Long live France! I'm innocent!

Gentlemen of the newspapers!

Proclaim to the world that I'm innocent!

I'm innocent!

I'm innocent! I'm innocent!

"I'm innocent. Long live France.

I'm innocent," Dreyfus kept repeating

over and over again while they reviled him.

- All he needed was a crown of thorns.

- Or 30 pieces of silver.

After all, the man was found guilty

of treason. And a traitor's a traitor.

I know, Emile,

but still, he's human, not a dog...

...and that crowd,

their faces like rabid beasts.

Yeah, well...

...human and animal skins

are much the same thickness.

You can't expect too much. You...

My head, my head.

How it rewards me,

this ungrateful monstrosity...

...that I've combed and fed for 50 years.

You're killing me!

Look.

Look at this picture.

He scarcely has the face of a traitor.

Honest... Dreyfus, Dreyfus!

Must we be eternally plagued

by that name?

You have a visitor.

My glasses. I can't see

without my glasses! Please!

- Lucie.

- Alfred.

Stay back.

- Can't we be alone?

- Orders are orders.

Oh, Alfred, darling...

...what have they done to you?

Never mind, dear.

If only you could give me the slightest

inkling who the real traitor might be.

I don't know. I haven't the faintest idea.

It's all like a nightmare.

- Incredible.

- Be brave.

I'll spare nothing, our future, our lives,

nothing to prove your innocence.

My conscience is clear.

No matter what they do to me,

I'll survive and prove it.

Yes.

You must.

For the children.

How are the little ones?

- You haven't told them?

- No.

I told them that you

were called away by duty.

Duty! Duty!

Oh, Alfred.

- Time's up.

- Just one moment more.

- I'm sorry.

- Well, let me go to him.

Let me embrace him.

Let me touch him once.

- Let me say goodbye to my husband.

- No.

Are you not married? Have you no wife?

- Time is up.

- You can't separate us. You can't!

- Alfred, darling, don't let them!

- Please, dear, don't make it harder for me.

As long as we have each other

and the children to love...

...perhaps in a little while

we'll all be happy again.

I love you.

I love you.

- Here are your belongings. On your way.

- Where to?

I am innocent! I'm innocent!

I'm innocent! I'm innocent!

I'm... I am innocent!

It is true, sir.

I have never been fully convinced

of Dreyfus' guilt.

Ever since I succeeded Sandherr,

I've tried to find out the truth...

...to find out the real traitor.

And I've got him.

- Who is it?

- Count Esterhazy.

- Esterhazy? On what proof?

- I obtained specimens of his handwriting...

...and compared it with the bordereau

on which Dreyfus was convicted.

Both of the writings are Esterhazy's.

Look for yourself.

- Dreyfus was guilty, just the same.

- But I have new evidence, further proof.

My agents got hold of a special

message addressed to Esterhazy...

...from the German military attach?

I tell you, general, Dreyfus is innocent.

And I tell you that

you've exceeded your duty.

But, general, this is my duty.

There must not be another

treason trial in the army.

Understand? It must not be.

But what about Dreyfus

rotting on Devil's Island?

Dreyfus, Dreyfus.

Will we never hear the last of the man?

Listen. If it is admitted

that a mistake has been made...

...we, the general staff,

will be at the mercy...

...of every scandal paper in France.

We owe it to the army to prevent that.

But you can't close a tomb

over a living man.

Can't we? If you say nothing,

nobody will ever know.

And you will say nothing,

you understand?

- I don't know, sir...

- That is an official order.

You may go.

Can't we find a new post

for our friend Picquart?

It's very quiet here in Paris

for such an energetic fellow.

What about one of our

African desert stations?

It's a bit unhealthy, but...

What about Esterhazy?

We've got to do something

before the public...

We shall. Don't worry.

Present arms!

"In the name of France,

the court-martial, having heard...

...the charge of treason brought against

Commandant Walsin-Esterhazy...

...unanimously agrees that he was

and is innocent of any suspicion of guilt.

He is therefore acquitted of said charge

and granted his immediate freedom."

- Congratulations.

- Congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you, Will.

This will teach Madame Dreyfus a lesson.

I hope it'll discourage her

and her confounded appeals.

Nevertheless, we'll continue

to have her carefully watched.

"My dear Zola...

...l'm certain you will be happy

to learn I have succeeded...

...in inducing my colleagues

to consider you...

...for membership in the French Academy.

You need not fear their decision, for they

know that your imperishable works...

...and your noble accomplishments

entitle you above all others...

...to be named among the immortals

of France.

With assurances

of my deepest sincerity...

...Francois Coppee."

The academy, at last.

They can deny me no longer.

Now, my dear, there's nothing more

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