Abel Gance's Accusation against War

With the creation of 'Accuse (1919), a new epoch in the life of Abel Gance and in the history of the French cinema begins. It is nearly impossible to convey the extraordinary experience one undergoes in seeing the original J'Accuse; one comes away from it with the impression that Gance himself must have gone through the same kind of rapid evolution which he prophesied for mankind. The film marks the emergence of a distinctive style. Gance has attained that capacity to express himself through the rhythmic utilization of the visual which characterizes his later work; the cadences of the visual images are as real as those of a symphony. Montage and superimposition effectively enter the world of French film; though the camera be yet stationary (with the exception of some remarkable traveling shots), the viewer experiences no ennui. The use of heightened contrasts and fine composition, already evident in Mater Dolorosa, is now general. Tinting makes it possible to further explore the relationship of tone to psychological nuance: the red tints of the dead in battle scenes, the blues of rippling waters used to illustrate Jean Diaz' poetry. This film speaks in visual terms: it has few titles. Moreover, in the person of Severin-Mars, Gance has found an extraordinary cinemime. This actor, coming from the Comedie Frangaise, brings none of the atavisms of the theatre with him: as Jean Diaz (and later as Sisif in La Roue), SeverinMars can express all that is needed with the smallest gesture or expression. The quality of the acting contrasts favorably with Griffith's work. Perhaps that is one reason why JAccuse does not appear to be dated: it exists in its own universe of color, contrasts, and rhythms. J'Accuse shows how war destroys the human community, but it also evokes the hope that an end can be made to war. The film places the interrelationships of a human community within a greater and metaphysical context. Abel Gance was attempting to create a new instrument. With this kind of film it should be possible to change the world. The film begins with the scene of a farandole in the village. Gance creates an eerie effect by showing the faces of the dancers colored by the fire. This round dance is the first manifestation of what will become a major leitmotif in Gance's work: the wheel, representing fatality and the eternal return. We become acquainted with the dramatis personae of the film: the animalistic Frangois Laurin, whose face and that of a dog are superimposed in the in

Art · False accusation · Humanities · Political science · French Historical and Cultural Studies · Law

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