J'accuse (1919 film)

J'accuse
Theatrical release poster for Part 2
Directed byAbel Gance
Written byAbel Gance
Produced byCharles Pathé
Starring
  • Romuald Joubé
  • Séverin-Mars
Cinematography
Edited by
Music byArthur Honegger
Distributed byPathé Frères
Release date
  • 25 April 1919 (1919-04-25) (France)
Running time
166 minutes (2008 restoration)
CountryFrance
LanguagesSilent
French intertitles
BudgetFF525,000

J'accuse is a 1919 French silent film directed by Abel Gance. It juxtaposes a romantic drama with the background of the horrors of World War I, and it is sometimes described as a pacifist or anti-war film. Work on the film began in 1918, and some scenes were filmed on real battlefields. The film's powerful depiction of wartime suffering, particularly its climactic sequence of the "return of the dead", made it an international success and confirmed Gance as one of the most important directors in Europe.