The Story of Louis Pasteur

Paul Muni getting his Oscar for the portrayal of the French microbiologist Louis Pasteur who made some of the most important discoveries in medicine. Of course the story is a little stiff which is a typical thing when it comes to biographical movies, but this thankfully stays away from becoming too sentimental. Solid acting by everyone and for a movie that spends a lot of time in the laboratory without creating monsters they make it viewer friendly. A respectable movie about the humble Pasteur.

Really quite good from the man who can play so many characters: Paul Muni

The thing about this movie is, everyone in it acts like they're in a historical biopic of Louis Pasteur. There isn't an unselfconscious scene or performance in the film, though Paul Muni (in chameleon mode) convincingly portrays a Great Man. The trouble with these Great Man stories is that we're supposed to cheer (or tear) when he wins the valediction of his peers, but the movie has just spent the preceding hour and a half telling us his peers are dunces.