This original HBO movie chronicles the events of the real-life "Dreyfus Affair" that took place in France in the final years of the 19th century. Army captain Dreyfus (Kenneth Colley, "The Empire Strikes Back") is convicted of treason (selling secrets to the Germans) based on flimsy evidence, and sent to Devils' Island. An officer named Picquart (Richard Dreyfuss, who was also one of the producers) is assigned to make sure that the sentence is just, and he ends up discovering a conspiracy involving other high-ranking military officers. The events here would ultimately sow the seeds for what led to the first World War in 1914.
Knowing director Ken Russells' track record of utter flamboyance, it's interesting that this decent history-based drama largely refrains from exuberance. It's pretty straightforward, telling a good story capably. It manages to make its points without being melodramatic. There is, of course, the theme of honor vs. Duty which is explicitly stated, but also the bigotry going on in the country with so many people expressing disdain for its Jewish community. Even Picquart is not immune from this type of thinking, so characters are presented as flawed and basically human.
American star Dreyfuss does an excellent job as a man devoted to the Army yet also devoted to letting the truth of the matter be known. He leads a mostly British cast; although relatively few cast members actually attempt French accents, the actors do disappear into their roles. The supporting actors read like a who's who of great British thespians: Oliver Reed ("Gladiator"), Peter Firth ("The Hunt for Red October"), Jeremy Kemp ("The Blue Max"), Brian Blessed ("Flash Gordon"), Peter Vaughan ('Game of Thrones'), and the esteemed filmmaker / actor Lindsay Anderson ("This Sporting Life", "O Lucky Man!", etc.) as the minister of war.
Scripted by Ron Hutchinson ('The Josephine Baker Story'), this intelligent and impassioned tale may well motivate some viewers to research the true story.
Seven out of 10.
Knowing director Ken Russells' track record of utter flamboyance, it's interesting that this decent history-based drama largely refrains from exuberance. It's pretty straightforward, telling a good story capably. It manages to make its points without being melodramatic. There is, of course, the theme of honor vs. Duty which is explicitly stated, but also the bigotry going on in the country with so many people expressing disdain for its Jewish community. Even Picquart is not immune from this type of thinking, so characters are presented as flawed and basically human.
American star Dreyfuss does an excellent job as a man devoted to the Army yet also devoted to letting the truth of the matter be known. He leads a mostly British cast; although relatively few cast members actually attempt French accents, the actors do disappear into their roles. The supporting actors read like a who's who of great British thespians: Oliver Reed ("Gladiator"), Peter Firth ("The Hunt for Red October"), Jeremy Kemp ("The Blue Max"), Brian Blessed ("Flash Gordon"), Peter Vaughan ('Game of Thrones'), and the esteemed filmmaker / actor Lindsay Anderson ("This Sporting Life", "O Lucky Man!", etc.) as the minister of war.
Scripted by Ron Hutchinson ('The Josephine Baker Story'), this intelligent and impassioned tale may well motivate some viewers to research the true story.
Seven out of 10.