I saw this film in our "20th Century French Intellectuals" general core seminar. It is really a good film, the editing is very smooth, and the performance is also very good. Of course, I think the biggest highlight is the few speeches, especially the court debates, which are really wonderful. But beyond the superficial art, this movie undoubtedly shocked us in a deeper way. How to evaluate the actions of an intellectual? Emile was of course great when he wrote NANA, because he dared to expose the other side of society, the most real world, or the Third Republic. But his performance in the Dreyfus incident is a true model of intellectuals, a true fighter. He gave up his comfortable old-age life and the sacred French Academy, and chose to conduct an "ineffective war of resistance" with a huge, seemingly invincible, and almost "the will of the entire French nation". Although he could choose London, "Sometimes to be cowardly is also a kind of great courage." When we encounter this kind of thing, do we dare to dedicate ourselves for the universal truth, for the happiness of more people, for the truth, and for the sake of science? Everything? What if we don’t even see the hope of victory? Emile Zola did not see the day when Dreyfus put on the French army uniform to his death, but he was an eternal victor.
If I can, I hope I can choose to sacrifice, sacrifice everything I have, just for the true eternity of this world.
PS The core courses of general education at Zhejiang University are still very good. In fact, I still want to take this kind of course in the next semester. This is what the "2017 World-Class University" should have.
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The Life of Emile Zola reviews
