J'accuse! (1938)

During WWI, a soldier (Victor Francen) acknowledges to a fellow soldier (Marcel Delaitre) that he is in love with his wife (Line Noro). But before they both go on a mission where it is highly unlikely they will ever return, he makes a promise to that soldier that will affect him long after the war is over. Directed by Abel Gance (NAPOLEON), this is a remake of his 1919 silent film of the same name. The first portion of the film (about 45 minutes) is devoted to the war and I expected another anti-war film like ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (a film I dislike) but the following hour and 15 minutes switches gears until toward the end it almost turns into an apocalyptic horror movie. The film is a fantasy of a man driven mad by war and promises almost impossible to keep. The very end of the film is a pipe dream, Gance has more faith in mankind than I have though with WWII looming on the horizon while he was making this movie, surely he must have been aware of what was coming and how the film's conclusion would look more like a fairy tale than ever. Francen gives a superb performance and there's no denying there are moments of great power in the film. With Marie Lou, Jean-Max and Renee Devillers.