J'Accuse (1919) :
Brief Review -
A Landmark in the Movie-Making! The Greatest French Film of All Time and Third Greatest Film of the Decade in World Cinema. I am saying it loud and clear that J'Accuse puts all War/Anti-War Classics at shame. Let's just go back to 1919 and have a look what we have got in Cinema World that can be called 'Masterpiece'. So, i see two D W Griffith films 'The Birth of a Nation' (1915) and 'Intolerance' (1916) on top of the table, but what's next or something on same the level to be compared coming from World Cinema? Here's the answer from French Cinema- 'J'Accuse'. If you are a real movie buff with a tremendous knowledge and great taste then i think you don't have to read the this review anymore. You must have understood what 'J'Accuse' is when i put it on a same level of those two Legendary films of Griffith. In addition i would like to mention one more thing that will increase the importance of this film even higher that, Abel Gance arranged the screening of this film for D W Griffith and the Legendary Film-maker was greatly moved by the film. Now tell me do you really need anything else? J'Accuse is story of two men, one married, the other the lover of the other's wife, who meet in the trenches of the World War I, and how their tale becomes a microcosm for the horrors of war. This is next level thinking when you put three extraordinary storylines in one narrative, War, Love Triangle and Anti-War. These are the elements who are individually enough to make one Classic film at a time and then you get to see all three combined in one film that means you actually get to see three classics at one time. Incredible, isn't it? For some time till the intermission i thought i am gonna witness the same legendary stuff like 'Casablanca' (1942) as the love triangle was shaping very well and the sacrifices were being made from both the sides and then suddenly in the third part it turned into a thought-provoking seminar which caused many people to change their behaviour in real life. I have seen many classic films based on War theme, Love Triangles, Sacrifice, Friendship, Anti-War concept and Thought-provoking material but i haven't seen any film which has all these properties combined together in one Cinematic Experience until i met J'Accuse. If you think i am exaggerating things then believe me i am not. I have watched more than 4000 films till date made between 1902 to 2021 and hardly 7-8 films have managed to get 10/10* rating and J'Accuse was about to become a new member of this rarest club.. but then i realised one or two things are missing and reduced that 1* mark. However, i wouldn't have mind to make J'accuse a Pride member of my 10/10* club but the couple of facts really needed a clarification. Rest, it has everything just perfect to whatever we call a 'Landmark Movie'. The two things i would like to counter are, one is the love triangle being little silly and messy and two is the continuation of it by all three characters even after having a great sense of reality. What more to talk, i don't know, i don't really have much to praise when i have already said that everything is just Perfect. Acting, writing, intertitles, cinematography, production design, socialism and direction everything is beyond greatness even when I consider it for today's time. Putting everything in brief, Third Greatest Film of the Decade in world Cinema and The Greatest French Film Ever made. Period.
RATING - 9/10*
By - #samthebestest
A Landmark in the Movie-Making! The Greatest French Film of All Time and Third Greatest Film of the Decade in World Cinema. I am saying it loud and clear that J'Accuse puts all War/Anti-War Classics at shame. Let's just go back to 1919 and have a look what we have got in Cinema World that can be called 'Masterpiece'. So, i see two D W Griffith films 'The Birth of a Nation' (1915) and 'Intolerance' (1916) on top of the table, but what's next or something on same the level to be compared coming from World Cinema? Here's the answer from French Cinema- 'J'Accuse'. If you are a real movie buff with a tremendous knowledge and great taste then i think you don't have to read the this review anymore. You must have understood what 'J'Accuse' is when i put it on a same level of those two Legendary films of Griffith. In addition i would like to mention one more thing that will increase the importance of this film even higher that, Abel Gance arranged the screening of this film for D W Griffith and the Legendary Film-maker was greatly moved by the film. Now tell me do you really need anything else? J'Accuse is story of two men, one married, the other the lover of the other's wife, who meet in the trenches of the World War I, and how their tale becomes a microcosm for the horrors of war. This is next level thinking when you put three extraordinary storylines in one narrative, War, Love Triangle and Anti-War. These are the elements who are individually enough to make one Classic film at a time and then you get to see all three combined in one film that means you actually get to see three classics at one time. Incredible, isn't it? For some time till the intermission i thought i am gonna witness the same legendary stuff like 'Casablanca' (1942) as the love triangle was shaping very well and the sacrifices were being made from both the sides and then suddenly in the third part it turned into a thought-provoking seminar which caused many people to change their behaviour in real life. I have seen many classic films based on War theme, Love Triangles, Sacrifice, Friendship, Anti-War concept and Thought-provoking material but i haven't seen any film which has all these properties combined together in one Cinematic Experience until i met J'Accuse. If you think i am exaggerating things then believe me i am not. I have watched more than 4000 films till date made between 1902 to 2021 and hardly 7-8 films have managed to get 10/10* rating and J'Accuse was about to become a new member of this rarest club.. but then i realised one or two things are missing and reduced that 1* mark. However, i wouldn't have mind to make J'accuse a Pride member of my 10/10* club but the couple of facts really needed a clarification. Rest, it has everything just perfect to whatever we call a 'Landmark Movie'. The two things i would like to counter are, one is the love triangle being little silly and messy and two is the continuation of it by all three characters even after having a great sense of reality. What more to talk, i don't know, i don't really have much to praise when i have already said that everything is just Perfect. Acting, writing, intertitles, cinematography, production design, socialism and direction everything is beyond greatness even when I consider it for today's time. Putting everything in brief, Third Greatest Film of the Decade in world Cinema and The Greatest French Film Ever made. Period.
RATING - 9/10*
By - #samthebestest