'' Gervaise '' is a 1956 French film directed by René Clément based on the novel '' L'Assommoir '' by Émile Zola . It depicts a working-class woman in the mid-nineteenth century ( played by Maria Schell ) trying to cope with the descent of her husband ( played by François Périer ) into alcoholism . The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 29th Academy Awards . Schell won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 1956 Venice Film Festival for her performance
29th Academy Awards
29th Academy Awards
Gervaise (film)