I Accuse (United Artists) (1919)

___ / _ Three Special News Stories— (Each story printed twice) j SIMPLEST ACTING AN AID TO “I ACCUSE” While some of the better known critics of European capitals declare that the overpowering realism, the per¬ fect blending of human emotions, are the strong features in Abel Gance’s sensational film production, “I Ac¬ cuse,’ which is being presented in the United States by the United Artists Corporation, and which has been an¬ nounced as the feature at the. theatre beginning ., all critics unite in the verdict that the acting, or rather the abandon of acting—of the brilliant French artists in this produc¬ tion is a superb phase of a superb picture. This view of Mr. Gance’s romantic ^drama is more than borne out by the ^comments of American critics, who say that the sincerity that character¬ izes the interpretation of the principals has never been excelled on the screen. Their restraint is splendid; indeed, they do not act—they live their parts. No theatrical self-consciousness or un¬ certainty has been allowed to enter into the portrayal of the characters. The story is remarkable for its di¬ rectness. There is no subterfuge of¬ fered. We see the conflicting emotions of two men of wholly diverse tempera¬ ments who are in love with the same woman. The one is a poet and vision¬ ary who lives in his dreams; the other a husband of the brute force type, now tender, now bestial. These two men experience intense hatred for each other, each being tor¬ tured by a burning jealousy and con¬ sumed with an undying love for the woman. On the battlefield, for the first time, they find their true selves. This mutual understanding develops into a firm and steadfast friendship, and there follows a perfect example of the supreme power of human ap¬ preciation. The wife falls into the hands of the enemy. After four years she escapes, ^returning home with the child of her affliction. In her trouble she asks the poet, invalided out of service, to pro¬ tect this innocent babe from the wrath of her husband. The latter, home on leave, finds the child and instantly ac- cusses his comrade. The truth about the infant is told, the two men vow vengeance, and go forth for only one to return. The husband is killed; the poet-lover becomes insane. The madman returns home, calls the villagers together, and from his disordered mind weaves forth a mar¬ velous vision, from which the moral of the story is drawn. In this vision 4 the war slain arise to determine if their sacrifice has been in vain, and if those who remained behind had ex¬ ploited this sacrifice to further their own selfish ends. As a climax we see the distracted widow, whose honor Jjas been avenged at the cost of two most precious lives. SIMPLEST ACTING AN AID TO ”1 ACCUSE” While some of the better known critics of European capitals declare that the overpowering realism, the per¬ fect blending of human emotions, are the strong features in Abel Gance’s sensational film production, “I Ac¬ cuse,” which is being presented in the United States by the United Artists Corporation, and which has been an¬ nounced as 'the feature at the. theatre beginning., all critics unite in the verdict that the acting, or rather the abandon of acting—of the brilliant French artists in this produc¬ tion is a superb phase of a superb picture. This view of Mr. Gance’s romantic drama is more than borne out by the comments of American critics, who say that the sincerity that character¬ izes the interpretation of the principals has never been excelled on the screen. Their restraint is splendid; indeed, they do not act—they live their parts. No theatrical self-consciousness or un¬ certainty has been allowed to enter into the portrayal of the characters. The story is remarkable for its di¬ rectness. There is no subterfuge of¬ fered. We see the conflicting emotions o 4 f two men of wholly diverse tempera¬ ments who are in love with the same woman. The one is a poet and vision¬ ary who lives in his dreams; the other a husband of the brute force type, now tender, now bestial. These two men experience intense hatred for each other, each being tor¬ tured by a burning jealousy and con¬ sumed with an undying love for the woman. On the battlefield, for the first time, they find their true selves. Their mutual understanding develops into a firm and steadfast friendship, and there follows a perfect example of the supreme power of human ap¬ preciation. The wife falls into the hands of the enemy. After four years she escapes, returning home with the child of her affliction. In her trouble she asks the poet invalided out of service, to pro¬ tect this innocent babe from the wrath of her husband. The latter, home on leave, finds the child and instantly ac¬ cuses his comrade. The truth about the infant is told, the two men vow vengeance, and go forth for only one to return. The husband is killed; the poet-lover becomes insane. The madman returns home, calls the villagers together, and from his disordered mind weaves forth a mar¬ velous vision, from which the moral of the story is drawn. In this vision the war slain arise to determine if their sacrifice has been in vain, and if those who remained behind had ex¬ ploited this sacrifice to further their own selfish ends. As a climax we see the distracted widow, whose honor has been avenged at the cost of two most precious lives. SEES PHILOSOPHY IN THE MOTION PICTURE Connection of the word “philoso¬ phy” with the term “motion picture” may bring a smile and amusing com¬ ment from many persons, yet they are inseparable in the work of Abel Gance, whose sensational film production, “I Accuse,” is being presented in the United States by the United Artists Corporation. “I Accuse” has been booked as the feature, film at the . theatre, beginning . Mr. Gance, who is a dramatist and poet as well as motion picture direc¬ tor and producer, and a Parisian only thirty years of age, was one of the first of a few thoroughly to grasp and appreciate fully the power of the animated picture. He has succeeded, and this he gives as his aim, in making the public see on the screen that which is not visibly there. “I have made the public think before my work,” asserts Mr. Gance, and critics of his film play declare that in his “conversation there are eloquent silences,” and that by this method he has managed to make a whole world of ideas pass before his audience in fix¬ ing a little corner of a landscape, an expression, or a simple gesture. “The picture, however, seen by my mind’s eye loses largely when seen on the screen,” Mr. Vance says, “and this for various reasons, such as artists, photography limitations, lighting, scen¬ ery, developing and printing.” CAMERA MAN NEARLY SPOILED A CAREER Abel Gance, French dramatist and motion picture producer, whose sensa¬ tional production, “I Accuse,” is being presented in the United States by the United Artists Corporation, and is an¬ nounced for the feature at the. theatre next .. had many adversities and stumbling blocks to overcome before he became capable of turning out such a masterly film work as this one which has captivated throngs in all the biggest cities of Europe. “One only learns to be a maker of motion pictures after long and costly experiences,” Mr. Gance declared in a recent interview. “Like all others I had to spend many long and most wearisome months learning the tech¬ nique. My first film, produced several years ago for a company which no longer exists, surprised me very much when I first saw it on the screen in the projection room. There was nothing on the screen. Like the ape in the fable, the cameraman had forgotten to light his little lamp—in this case the camera—and the film, unexposed or very little exposed, produced a truly negative result.” So discouraged and thoroughly dis¬ heartened was Mr. Gance by this un¬ fortunate beginning that he forsook the cinema at once and, oddly enough, to take up the study of psychology and philosophy. And it was only when driven to it by dire necessity of ob¬ taining money to live on, that he again went back into the employ of a film company. SEES PHILOSOPHY IN THE MOTION PICTURE Connection of the word “philoso¬ phy” with the term “motion picture” may bring a smile and amusing com¬ ment from many persons, yet they are inseparable in the work of Abel Gance, whose sensational film production, “I Accuse,” is being presented in the United States by the United Artists Corporation. “I Accuse” has been booked as the feature film at the . theatre, beginning. Mr. Gance, who is a dramatist and poet as well as motion picture direc¬ tor and producer, and a Parisian only thirty years of age, was one of the first of a few thoroughly to grasp and appreciate fully the power of the animated picture. He has succeeded, and this he gives as his aim, in making the public see on the screen that which is not visibly there. I have made the public think before my work,” asserts Mr. Gance, and critics of his film play declare that in his “conversation there are eloquent silences,” and that by this method he has managed to make a whole world of ideas pass before his audience in fix¬ ing a little corner of a landscape, an expression, or a simple gesture. “The picture, however, seen by my mind’s eye loses largely when seen on the screen,” Mr. Vance says, “and this for various reasons, such as artists, photography limitations, lighting, scen¬ ery, developing and printing.” CAMERA MAN NEARLY SPOILED A CAREER Abel Gance, French dramatist and motion picture producer, whose sensa¬ tional production, “I Accuse,” is being presented in the United States by the United Artists Corporation, and is an¬ nounced for the feature at the. theatre next ., had many adversities and stumbling blocks to overcome before he became capable of turning out such a masterly film work as this one which has captivated throngs in all the biggest cities of Europe. “One only learns to be a maker of motion pictures after long and costly experiences,” Mr. Gance declared in a recent interview. “Like all others I had to spend many long and most wearisome months learning the tech¬ nique. My first film, produced several years ago for a company which no longer exists, surprised me very much when I first saw it on the screen in the projection room. There was nothing on the screen. Like the ape in the fable, the cameraman had forgotten to light his little lamp—in this case the camera—and the film, unexposed or very little exposed, produced a truly negative result.” So discouraged and thoroughly dis¬ heartened was Mr. Gance by this un¬ fortunate beginning that he forsook the cinema at once and, oddly enuogh, to take up the study of psychology and philosophy. And it was only when driven to it by dire necessity of ob¬ taining money to live on, that he again went back into the employ of a film company.