The story is nothing revolutionary, no extra twist or suprise but the real gem here is the way the story is told and the movie was shot.
In contrast to the oversaturated Hollywood exhaustive action packed style this movie manages to tell the intriguing Dreyfus affair in France 1895 without unnecessary overdone action scenes/music whilst maintaining the core tension of the topic that doesn't let you off the hook.
When the movie was finished I couldn't believe that over 2h were over and I felt pleasantly refreshed and renewed, although I was constantly focused on what will happen next. That's the level of smoothness we are talking about here.
A connection to past Polanski or french movies is definitly visible and this way of storytelling can be thought of as a new take on it.
If you like historical dramas with a good portion of crime you should definitly take a look at this gem.
An Officer and a Spy
2019 [FRENCH]
Action / Drama / History / Thriller
Plot summary
In 1894, French Captain Alfred Dreyfus is wrongfully convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Devil's Island penal colony.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
December 13, 2020 at 01:58 PM
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
You should definitly watch it !
The Polanski version of the Dreyfus case
The story needs to be reminded of every now and then. This Polanski version is as eloquent and strict in restrained discipline as José Ferrer's version of 1958, and the same review that I wrote about that film could be written here. Polanski's version is more "photo-realistic" though, more exact and less theatrical. There are no dazzling prominent film stars here like in Joé Ferrer's film, where he himself played Dreyfus. The parts of Dreyfus and Esterhazy (Ferrer and Anton Walbrook in that version) are minimal here and reduced to no more than what's necessary. Instead this film is almost consistently documentary in character, with certain typical Polanski dramatic turns though. It is exquisitely made in its perfect discipline, and even Alexander Desplat's music is reduced to mere basics. It is built up as a thriller, and the great trial scenes are the dramatic highlight. This is definitely one of Polanski's best films, if not the very best, which is not a bad verdict, considering how many excellent films he has made. It is the perfect history lesson and paramount as such.
FRENCH ( A+ Movie) My Ratings 9 /10
It's an absolute masterclass in how to make an historical film.
This subject has something very real and urgent to say about the world we live in today. It's kind of a shame you'll probably never get to see it.