Themes: Miscarriage of Justice, Courts Martial, Social Injustice
Main Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Oliver Reed, Peter Firth, Jeremy Kemp, Brian Blessed
Release Year: 1991
Country: US/UK
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Directed by Ken Russell, Prisoner of Honor is a made-for-cable retelling of the 1894 court-martial of French Army officer Alfred Dreyfus. The historical drama stars Richard Dreyfuss (no relation) as the head of counter-intelligence who uncovers several damning pieces of evidence. It turns out that the French government has sent an innocent man to prison for their own suspicious reasons, and Dreyfuss is the only man willing to fight for the prisoner's freedom. Prisoner of Honor also stars Oliver Reed and Peter Firth, as well as featuring Lindsay Anderson, Brian Blessed, Jeremy Kemp, and Peter Vaughan. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
Kenneth Colley - Captain Dreyfus; John Bennett - Magistrate; Vernon Dobtcheff - Rennes Prosecutor; Nick Edmett - Orator 2; Mac McDonald - Picquart's Lawyer; Murray Melvin - Bertillon; Catherine Neilson - Eloise; Anthony Newlands - Rennes Presiding Judge; Judith Paris - Madame Dreyfus; Patrick Ryecart - Major Esterhary; Sean Scanlon - Reporter; Stephen Simms - Eloise's Husband; Peter Vaughan; Lindsay Anderson - War Minister; Imogen Claire - Caberet Singer; Paul Dufficey - Sketch Artist; Christopher Logue - Labori; Albert Welling - Captain Cuignet; Miranda Coe - Male Prostitute; Guy Nicholls - Degradation Sergeant; Carsten Norgaard - Colonel Von Schwartzkoppen; Norman Mitchell - Court Usher; Christopher Ashley - Orator 1; John Cater - New War Minister
Credit
Ken Russell - Director, Mike Southon - Cinematographer
The film documents the events that saw a French Captain, Alfred Dreyfus, sent to Devil's Island for espionage near the end of the nineteenth century. Colonel Georges Picquart (Richard Dreyfuss) is given the job of justifying Dreyfus' sentence. Instead, he discovers that Dreyfus (Kenneth Colley), a Jew, was merely a convenient scapegoat for the actions of the true culprit, a member of the French General staff. His attempt to right the wrong sees his military career ended and the famous French author, Emile Zola (Martin Friend), found guilty of libel.
Elgar (1962, TV) ·French Dressing (1963) ·The Debussy Film (1965, TV) ·Always On Sunday (1965, TV) ·Isadora Duncan, The Biggest Dancer In The World (1966, TV) ·Dante's Inferno (1967, TV) ·Billion Dollar Brain (1967) ·Song of Summer (1968, TV) ·Women in Love (1969)
