Germinal (1913 film)

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Germinal is a 1913 French silent, black-and-white film written and directed by Albert Capellani. Adapted from Emile Zola’s 1885 novel Germinal, it stars Henry Krauss, with cinematography by Louis Forestier and Pierre Trimbach, and was produced by Pathé Frères. The film was released in 1913 in France and in 1914 in the United States as Germinal, or The Toll of Labor. At 140 minutes, it is one of the early feature-length films over two hours. Set in 1863, the story follows Étienne Lantier, who finds work as a miner after being fired from the railroad for revolutionary beliefs. Disheartened by the mines’ brutal conditions, he helps lead a miners’ strike, which is suppressed by soldiers.