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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I still remember the first time I saw this film, magnificent.
Z is a 1969 French language political thriller directed by Costa Gavras, with a screenplay by Gavras and Jorge Sempr¨²n, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos. The film presents a thinly fictionalized account of the events surrounding the assassination of democratic Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963. With its satirical view of Greek politics, its dark sense of humor, and its downbeat ending, the film captures the outrage about the military dictatorship that ruled Greece at the time of its making.
Z stars Jean-Louis Trintignant as the investigating magistrate (an analogue of Christos Sartzetakis, who 22 years later was appointed President of Greece by democratically-elected parliamentarians). International stars Yves Montand and Irene Papas also appear, but despite their star billing have very little screen time compared to the other principals. Jacques Perrin, who co-produced, plays a key role. The film's title refers to the popular Greek protest slogan "¦¦¦Å¦É", meaning "he (Lambrakis) lives".
Awesome!
Z is a 1969 French language political thriller directed by Costa Gavras, with a screenplay by Gavras and Jorge Sempr¨²n, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos. The film presents a thinly fictionalized account of the events surrounding the assassination of democratic Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963. With its satirical view of Greek politics, its dark sense of humor, and its downbeat ending, the film captures the outrage about the military dictatorship that ruled Greece at the time of its making.
Z stars Jean-Louis Trintignant as the investigating magistrate (an analogue of Christos Sartzetakis, who 22 years later was appointed President of Greece by democratically-elected parliamentarians). International stars Yves Montand and Irene Papas also appear, but despite their star billing have very little screen time compared to the other principals. Jacques Perrin, who co-produced, plays a key role. The film's title refers to the popular Greek protest slogan "¦¦¦Å¦É", meaning "he (Lambrakis) lives".
Awesome!
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Although it is seldom seen today, in 1970 Constantin Costa-Gavras' "Z" picked up both the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Picture and an Academy Award as Best Foreign Film. In the wake of the John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King assassinations of the 1960s and fueled by the later Watergate scandal, the film had tremendous resonance with American audiences, becoming one of the highest grossing foreign language films ever released in that market.
Based on the novel by Vassilis Vassilikos, which was itself based on the 1966 "Lambrakis Affair" in Greece, "Z" is at once a political thriller and satire. Set in an unnamed nation, it presents a politician who is strongly critical of American and Russian nuclear build up and his nation's participation in it. Denounced by the status quo as a communist, he is met with civic obstruction when he arrives to give a speech and afterward is struck down and killed by a speeding truck in the streets. A drunk driving accident, according to local officials. An assassination, according to his entourage.
Although the film has a somewhat slow and uncertain build, once fully underway it becomes a rapid-fire series of sharply edited scenes in which the sloppy assassination plot is unraveled by a dispassionate magistrate sent to conduct an investigation--an investigation plagued by assaults on witnesses and civic cover-up. But in such a corrupt society, can the full truth ever be known?
Director Costa-Gavras walks a very fine line here, presenting the characters as archetypes but endowing them with enough human emotion to engage our interests and sympathies. And the cast is remarkable, with Yves Montond, Irene Papas, and Jean-Louis Trintignant particularly notable. The script is at once chilling and covertly comic, jeering at officialdom around the corners of its more serious business, and the overall look of the film--particularly in the violent crowd scenes--is truly memorable.
The film has been restored to a pristine condition in its original widescreen and the DVD offers a number of language subtitles (including English) in easy-to-read yellow script. Bonus features are slight, but include the original trailer, samples of restoration work, and an extremely interesting conversation between novelist Vassilikos and director Costa-Gavras. Consta-Gravas also offers an audio-commentary--in French, which will be frustrating for those who (like me) do not speak the language.
Although some viewers may not even notice the satirical tone of the film, and while some will be put off by its distinctly liberal slant, I think most viewers--including those who don't normally care for foreign film--will find "Z" a fascinating ride, particularly if they enjoyed the likes of JFK or THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. Time may have dimmed the origins of the piece, but sadly the subject of governmental corruption and the mendacity of powerbrokers remains as timely as ever.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The problem with revolutionary pieces of political cinema is that in retrospect they can appear dated and simplistic when compared to the more sophisticated films that follow them. Costa-Gavras' influential political thriller does suffer from that problem a little at times, but if diminished it is still powerful and effective stuff.
Dealing with the assassination of Montand's charismatic political opponent of a regime that is run by the military in all but name (unidentified in the film, it is clearly Greece under the colonels - among the list of things banned by the movie's regime is 'la musique populaire (M. Theodorakis)'. The film's composer was actually under house arrest at the time). The first half of the film covers his arrival and the events leading up to his death at a sabotaged political rally, the second following two parallel investigations into the hows and whys, that of Jean-Louis Trintignant's honest Attorney and co-producer Jacques Perrin's photo-journalist.
The film is dialogue heavy (with the honourable exception of Irene Papas, who, as in Zorba the Greek, remains almost mute throughout) and lacks the more effective investigative construction of Missing. It works against the film that we know what has happened - and more importantly, how - so early, since the result of Trintignant's investigation seems a foregone conclusion. It would perhaps have been much more effective if we had seen the various participants very different accounts of events first to draw our own conclusions alongside his.
Characterisation is also a sporadic weak point: while those on the sides of the angels all give good performances, only the charismatic Yves Montand seems to be a person we can care about rather than a political or moral position while the military figures are too clearly set up just to be knocked down and veer towards the comic book. Yet it retains an urgency and outrage that ensures that it still commands the attention. If not the masterpiece it was hailed as on its first appearance, it's certainly an excellent film and remains an important landmark in political cinema.
Criterion's impressive Region 1 NTSC DVD transfer is a big step up from the standards conversion release Koch Lorber put out a few years ago, though it sadly loses Costa-Gavras' audio commentary from that version, replacing it with on from Peter Cowie, but it goes some to compensating by including new interviews with Costa-Gavras and Raoul Coutard (who has a cameo as the doctor who operates on Montand) as well as archive interviews with Costa-Gavras, Jacques Perrin, Pierre Dux, Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant and novelist Vassilis Vassilikos, the original theatrical trailer and a booklet.
Dealing with the assassination of Montand's charismatic political opponent of a regime that is run by the military in all but name (unidentified in the film, it is clearly Greece under the colonels - among the list of things banned by the movie's regime is 'la musique populaire (M. Theodorakis)'. The film's composer was actually under house arrest at the time). The first half of the film covers his arrival and the events leading up to his death at a sabotaged political rally, the second following two parallel investigations into the hows and whys, that of Jean-Louis Trintignant's honest Attorney and co-producer Jacques Perrin's photo-journalist.
The film is dialogue heavy (with the honourable exception of Irene Papas, who, as in Zorba the Greek, remains almost mute throughout) and lacks the more effective investigative construction of Missing. It works against the film that we know what has happened - and more importantly, how - so early, since the result of Trintignant's investigation seems a foregone conclusion. It would perhaps have been much more effective if we had seen the various participants very different accounts of events first to draw our own conclusions alongside his.
Characterisation is also a sporadic weak point: while those on the sides of the angels all give good performances, only the charismatic Yves Montand seems to be a person we can care about rather than a political or moral position while the military figures are too clearly set up just to be knocked down and veer towards the comic book. Yet it retains an urgency and outrage that ensures that it still commands the attention. If not the masterpiece it was hailed as on its first appearance, it's certainly an excellent film and remains an important landmark in political cinema.
Criterion's impressive Region 1 NTSC DVD transfer is a big step up from the standards conversion release Koch Lorber put out a few years ago, though it sadly loses Costa-Gavras' audio commentary from that version, replacing it with on from Peter Cowie, but it goes some to compensating by including new interviews with Costa-Gavras and Raoul Coutard (who has a cameo as the doctor who operates on Montand) as well as archive interviews with Costa-Gavras, Jacques Perrin, Pierre Dux, Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant and novelist Vassilis Vassilikos, the original theatrical trailer and a booklet.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Z
Thought I would never see it on DVD, but it was worth waiting for. One of my all-time favourite films.
Published 10 months ago by Mr. David A. Arthur
Politics + Beatdowns? Z IS HERE
The current party in power don't like the look of that great new hope popping up on the left. They try sabotaging Mr. Hype's speech, but his party persevere. Read more
Published 20 months ago by P. J. Potter
Real life political class war in Greece
I have watched the film first in a film festival. If the festival showed this film only it would be enough. Later I have read the book also. Read more
Published on 23 May 2007 by Ogun Eratalay
Clever polotical thriller
This a very clever and absorbing polotical thriller about repression and deservedly a famous film. Yves Montand is the resistance hero and Jean-Louis Trintignant the judge who... Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2000
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