Z

Rating:
Summary: still a thrill, 30 years later
Review: It starts out by saying: "Any similarity to actual persons or events is deliberate" and goes on to tell an intricate, absorbing story.

From 1969, this political thriller stands up as a brilliantly crafted film, helped by an extraordinary cast, great editing, and a marvelous Mikis Theodorakis soundtrack.

What an amazing ensemble of actors ! Yves Montand is fabulous, also the beautiful Irene Papas, Charles Denner, Jacques Perrin, and so many more...but the real hero of this film is Jean-Lois Trintignant. He is magnificent, and the subtleties of his performance riveting.

I don't think you have to subscribe to the politics espoused in this film to appreciate its greatness. It stands as a work of art, and I think Costa-Gavras' finest film.

Rating:
Summary: Best performance and sound track
Review: Must own, I've seen it years ago, I can hardly wait for the new release through Amazon.com.

Rating:
Summary: Old French film
Review: nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Let's set the record straight.
Review: The "experts" commenting here advise avoiding the English "DUBBED" version.

The ENGLISH VERSION was filmed in parallel with the french version (The use of french was necessitated to have it distributed in Europe as the original Greek would have limited draw.) The incident took place here in Thessaloniki Greece, where I live).

All the performers were fluent in English and you can recognize their voices.

It was not "Dubbed" (watch their lips "expert").

Now those of you who know where the original English language version can be found, speak up.

It is an excellent film and deserves to be experienced. (Read the book.)

Rating:
Summary: Let's set the record straight.
Review: The "experts" commenting here advise avoiding the English "DUBBED" version.

The ENGLISH VERSION was filmed in parallel with the french version (The use of french was necessitated to have it distributed in Europe as the original Greek would have limited draw.) The incident took place here in Thessaloniki Greece, where I live).

All the performers were fluent in English and you can recognize their voices.

It was not "Dubbed" (watch their lips "expert").

Now those of you who know where the original English language version can be found, speak up.

It is an excellent film and deserves to be experienced. (Read the book.)

Rating:
Summary: Z--he still lives!
Review: The 1969 Oscar winner for best foreign film is based on the 1963 assassination of Greek communist politician and doctor Gregorio Lambrekis. The opening sequence of first the agriculture minister equating mildew with communism and the Greek chief of police advocating the indoctrination of the population to become healthy elements of society loyal to God and the crown instead of isms like socialism, anarchism, imperialism, or communism describes the stranglehold the right has in Greece.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is denied a hall for its meeting due to the hall owner threatened by right-wing elements so the peace people have no choice but to hold at the Employee Union Hall, with loudspeakers outside for the benefit of the crowd outside. The leader of the movement (Yves Montand) decides to carry on with the speech despite learning of a threat on his life. He finishes his speech and is crossing the square to demand the police quell the seething rioters when he is struck in the head from someone in the back of a lorry. He is operated on but dies. His death not only makes him a martyr among his supporters, but causes a coverup to ensue. A determined photojournalist and the inquest judge assigned to the case soon realize the extent of the conspiracy, a conspiracy that goes up to the top.

The journalist's relentless digging leads to identifying members of CROC, the Christian Royalist Organization against Communism, a secret society the cops use to keep order at parades. The leader of CROC says, "Abroad, some say make love, not war! We say, 'Make war on corruption and liberalism, and on indiscriminate liberty!'" Well, the liberty that was banned when the junta took over included pop music, intellectual books, and the letter "Z", which was the ancient Greek symbol for "he is alive."Basically, they are the counterdemonstrators, the agent provocateurs who beat up the peaceful disarmament people.

The dispassionate inquest judge is simply doing his job, wanting just the facts, but with each piece of evidence or testimony that comes, he realizes that an incident involving two drunks becomes a death due to a blow by a club, and then assassination. He is under pressure from the attorney general, who feels that a prolonged inquest gives the peace movement fuel for subversive action.

Criticized for being talky, Z is actually an effective, suspenseful political drama that is a snapshot of the times. The assassination of the senator mirrors that of JFK. Witnesses intimidated, killed, and guilty participants having doctored stories from their paymasters. One witness though, bravely tells his testimony from his hospital bed even though he has been beaten. A leading communist is chased down the streets by a car.

The Cold War paranoia and hysteria of anti-communism is presented here, taken to the extreme of equating disarmament with communism. And groups like CROC are still alive today. The CIA-sponsored KOPASSUS was behind the 1998 riots in Indonesia.

Contrast these speeches, first from the senator: "Why do our ideas provoke such violence? Why don't they like peace?... The other [groups] are nationalists used by the government and don't upset our Judas allies who betray us. We lack hospitals and doctors, [while] half the budget goes to military expenditures. ... A stockpile of A-bombs is equal to a ton of dynamite per person on Earth. They want to prevent us from reading the obvious conclusion based on the simple truths, but we will speak out. We serve the people and the people need the truth." As Greece was the father of democracy, one can only think, "Has Greece come to this?"

Director Costa-Gavras's searing indictment of the CIA-sponsored Greek military junta under the colonels from 1967 to 1973 is the prototype of political assassination thrillers, something that may have served as a model for Oliver Stone's JFK. Indeed, the opening disclaimer states that "any similarities to actual persons or events is deliberate." The bottom line is that the CIA, the extreme right, and the military-industrial complex is also blameworthy.

One of the more radical peace members says of his ailing leader "the brain's dead, but the heart's still beating. I won't quit," invoking the spirit of any movement fighting for peace and justice.

Rating:
Summary: Z--he still lives!
Review: The 1969 Oscar winner for best foreign film is based on the 1963 assassination of Greek communist politician and doctor Gregorio Lambrekis. The opening sequence of first the agriculture minister equating mildew with communism and the Greek chief of police advocating the indoctrination of the population to become healthy elements of society loyal to God and the crown instead of isms like socialism, anarchism, imperialism, or communism describes the stranglehold the right has in Greece.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is denied a hall for its meeting due to the hall owner threatened by right-wing elements so the peace people have no choice but to hold at the Employee Union Hall, with loudspeakers outside for the benefit of the crowd outside. The leader of the movement (Yves Montand) decides to carry on with the speech despite learning of a threat on his life. He finishes his speech and is crossing the square to demand the police quell the seething rioters when he is struck in the head from someone in the back of a lorry. He is operated on but dies. His death not only makes him a martyr among his supporters, but causes a coverup to ensue. A determined photojournalist and the inquest judge assigned to the case soon realize the extent of the conspiracy, a conspiracy that goes up to the top.

The journalist's relentless digging leads to identifying members of CROC, the Christian Royalist Organization against Communism, a secret society the cops use to keep order at parades. The leader of CROC says, "Abroad, some say make love, not war! We say, 'Make war on corruption and liberalism, and on indiscriminate liberty!'" Well, the liberty that was banned when the junta took over included pop music, intellectual books, and the letter "Z", which was the ancient Greek symbol for "he is alive."Basically, they are the counterdemonstrators, the agent provocateurs who beat up the peaceful disarmament people.

The dispassionate inquest judge is simply doing his job, wanting just the facts, but with each piece of evidence or testimony that comes, he realizes that an incident involving two drunks becomes a death due to a blow by a club, and then assassination. He is under pressure from the attorney general, who feels that a prolonged inquest gives the peace movement fuel for subversive action.

Criticized for being talky, Z is actually an effective, suspenseful political drama that is a snapshot of the times. The assassination of the senator mirrors that of JFK. Witnesses intimidated, killed, and guilty participants having doctored stories from their paymasters. One witness though, bravely tells his testimony from his hospital bed even though he has been beaten. A leading communist is chased down the streets by a car.

The Cold War paranoia and hysteria of anti-communism is presented here, taken to the extreme of equating disarmament with communism. And groups like CROC are still alive today. The CIA-sponsored KOPASSUS was behind the 1998 riots in Indonesia.

Contrast these speeches, first from the senator: "Why do our ideas provoke such violence? Why don't they like peace?... The other [groups] are nationalists used by the government and don't upset our Judas allies who betray us. We lack hospitals and doctors, [while] half the budget goes to military expenditures. ... A stockpile of A-bombs is equal to a ton of dynamite per person on Earth. They want to prevent us from reading the obvious conclusion based on the simple truths, but we will speak out. We serve the people and the people need the truth." As Greece was the father of democracy, one can only think, "Has Greece come to this?"

Director Costa-Gavras's searing indictment of the CIA-sponsored Greek military junta under the colonels from 1967 to 1973 is the prototype of political assassination thrillers, something that may have served as a model for Oliver Stone's JFK. Indeed, the opening disclaimer states that "any similarities to actual persons or events is deliberate." The bottom line is that the CIA, the extreme right, and the military-industrial complex is also blameworthy.

One of the more radical peace members says of his ailing leader "the brain's dead, but the heart's still beating. I won't quit," invoking the spirit of any movement fighting for peace and justice.

Rating:
Summary: Liked JFK? You'll love Z.
Review: The other reviews have got things covered. Get this film! Don't forget to watch for some of the humour :)

"They asked if I was a commie.." "Are you?" "No! I only like soccer!"

Rating:
Summary: The masterpiece of Costa Gavras , by far .
Review: This film is a classic . Based on the killing of a peace movement leader in Greece 1963 , the subsequent investigation with the expected cover up of the authorities related with the regime and the last consequences of a militar government which destriyed democracy . Trintignant as the governement investigator is towering .
This film won the well deserved prize as best foreign film in its moment and it became a protest vehicle in the last of a decade characterized by violent and disturbing process of rebelness around the world .
The echoes of the French May 1968 (Forbidden forbid) still sound in the fresh memory of the mankind when this film broke the walls .
After this movie was released an important group of protest films would come as the Mattei affair , Memories of the undevelopment or The horns hour .
Watch this powerful work.

Rating:
Summary: a must-see movie for those who are politically aware
Review: This movie was first released in 1969, but I didn't see it until 1973--right in the middle of the Watergate scandal. The parallels were almost too obvious for anyone to miss! I even thought that Jean-Louis Trintignant resembled John Dean! I recently watched it again, and the movie has held up very well in terms of its message and how well it was made. The music is very special, as well; it would be nice to have the soundtrack on CD. Of course, a DVD version of this film would be great, too--after all, "Z" won the best foreign film Oscar in 1970!