I Accuse (1938)(J'accuse)

Far from a straightforward ‘sound remake’, 1938’s I Accuse expanded on Abel Gance’s previous film as Europe was once again sliding towards disaster. We meet Jean Diaz again, in the trenches of World War I, vowing to devote the rest of his life to an invention that will stop all wars. He does not yet know that only twenty short years separate him from the onset of World War II. In this rousing feat of cinematic speculation and historical prognostic, Gance revisits key characters and scenes from his 1919 epic. Yet here, Jean Diaz’s journey becomes a mirror to the filmmaker’s own: a testament to the artist’s resolve and responsibility in crafting a clear and prescient plea for peace.

21/1 (Sun): Film talk with Lau Yam