An Officer and a Spy

In 1894, Alfred Dreyfus, Louis Garrel, a captain in the French army, is found guilty of high treason for passing military secrets to the German Empire and is exiled to Devil’s Island. His case sends a shockwave through France, particularly because Dreyfus is Jewish, creating a rift that echoes across society and the military.

One year later, officer Georges Picquart, Jean Dujardin, is appointed head of the secret service section in the French army (Deuxième Bureau). Despite alleged anti-Semitic sentiments in the ranks, he senses that the trial against Dreyfus was rushed and biased by the suspect’s origins. Noticing irregularities in the dossier, he decides to investigate further to verify Dreyfus’ guilt.

Picquart discovers that the so-called bordereau, the document that ostensibly proves Dreyfus’ guilt, was not written by Dreyfus but by Major Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy, Laurent Natrella. According to Picquart, Esterhazy is the real spy, but the evidence has been manipulated or suppressed to protect the army. Convinced of Dreyfus’ innocence, Picquart attempts to reopen the case and arrest Esterhazy, yet he faces furious resistance from his superiors: admitting Dreyfus’ innocence would reveal a corrupt system, and the symbol of the crime—by virtue of Dreyfus’ Jewish identity—serves as a convenient scapegoat for powerful interests.

Picquart is removed from office and sent away from Paris, but he eventually returns and shares everything with his friend, the lawyer Louis Leblois, who begins organizing a committee to rehabilitate Dreyfus. They enlist Fernand Labori, and gather support from prominent intellectuals, including Émile Zola. Vincent Perez portrays Maître Leblois, Melvil Poupaud embodies Maître Labori, and André Marcon brings to life Émile Zola as a drove-by force in the campaign for justice.

Picquart’s stubborn stance leads to his arrest, while Zola makes a landmark move by publishing the incendiary article “J’accuse” in L’Aurore, fiercely detailing the irregularities of the trial and naming those implicated. The public controversy inflames the nation, and Zola faces a defamation trial that ends with a prison sentence, highlighting the deep fractures within the country’s institutions.

As the case unfolds, the testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Joseph Henry, Grégory Gadebois, destabilizes the proceedings. Henry’s deposition catalyzes a turn, and Picquart is eventually acquitted and released. Dreyfus is repatriated for a second trial in Rennes in 1899, a pivotal moment that keeps the dispute alive. Before a crucial hearing, Labori suffers an assassination attempt and is unable to defend Dreyfus, leading to a lighter sentence and a provisional pardon for Dreyfus. Yet the years of wrongful confinement weigh heavily on the men involved, even as the political landscape shifts and public opinion fractures.

Seven years later, there is a broader sense of justice as the case lingers toward a final reckoning, with broader recognition of the judicial errors that had harmed Dreyfus and those who stood up for him. The long arc of the affair continues to reverberate through the military and the public sphere, and Picquart’s career advances to a high political role, while Dreyfus, though pardoned, remains wary of how late vindication will reshape his standing within the army.

In 1907, Picquart is appointed Minister of War, a appointment that underscores the complex reconciliation of past mistakes and political necessity. Dreyfus seeks a formal acknowledgment of the years spent unjustly, hoping for restoration and recognition, but the evolving climate in France makes a complete redress improbable at that moment. The two men part with mutual respect, their earlier bond tempered by the heavy costs of a protracted, nation-shaking conflict, and the story remains a stark, enduring reminder of the long shadows cast by injustice and the courage of those who challenged it.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:04