Amazon.com: Costa-Gavras's Z, winner of the 1970 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, is a classic political thriller, combining intrigue with raw emotional power. The story turns on the investigation of the assassination of a left-wing Greek politician (Yves Montand), and his government's attempts to cover up the murky circumstances. Montand receives death threats as he prepares to give a speech condemning the government, and is then run down in front of numerous witnesses. Jean-Louis Trintignant (The Conformist) plays the judge assigned to the investigation, who gradually discovers how far the state will go to rid itself of political opposition. As he is warned off the case by his superiors, the judge becomes even more determined to discover the truth, no matter where it might lead. Costa-Gavras (Missing, Mad City) is in familiar territory here, but no one handles this type of material better. Z is a classic of political intrigue and social consciousness. --Robert Lane
Z - A movie by Costa Gavras I was 18 when I saw this movie for the first time, and it gave me quite a shock - for the first time, I realized a movie could be more than just entertainment, then it could inform, infuriate and chill you at the same time. This movie depicts the events surrounding the death of the charismatic leader of a leftist Greek political faction. As the judge in charge investigates, he realizes that it isn't an accident, but murder, sanctioned by important people. These events are based on the real-life assassination of Gregorios Lambrakis in 1963. The directing is taut, the actors excellent, and the tension mounts steadily. This is a movie you must see - and ponder seriously. How strong is democracy ? Can a faction in power manipulate events and push aside (or even kill) anyone who opposes it with impunity ? I think it already does.
Superior Film This is one of the best political thrillers of all time, and it hasn't lost a bit of its punch after almost 40 years.
'Z' Based on the real-life murder of populist Greek liberal Gregorios Lambrakis in 1963, this incendiary political thriller epitomizes the idea of a "cinema of resistance". It is also a compelling story, with Montand delivering a brief but intense performance as the assassinated pacifist, and Trintignant providing an emotional jolt as the puppet judge who surprises everyone by indicting high-level officials. Costa-Gavras keeps our pulse pumping with shotgun pacing, punchy edits, and sudden turns of events. "Z," which means "He is alive" in ancient Greek, won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and remains timely in today's world of lapsed ethics.
Extraordinary I have seen this movie untold number of times since it first came out. I first saw it in NYC in 1969 and it was the first movie where the audience applauded at the end. This was a time of activism on the part of the young people and even older people against racism and the war in Vietnam (unlike today where kids only care about their ipods, etc.) and this film hit a nerve. The Greeks, unlike Americans, have a long attention span and still hold a grudge against the American support of the dictatorship in Greece (so do I). To understand the present you must know the past and this is still an important picture. Just look at the present administration with its lies, deceptions, preemptive wars, and meddling in foreign affairs, mainly propping up corrupt and dirty leaders.
I have an older VHS version (when it first came out) but it has English subtitles in white, making it almost impossible to read at times. However, after seeing the movie about 20 times when it first came out and watching it many more times on video, I can pretty well understand what is going on.
I have read the book (still have the original paperback released when the movie came out) plus Theodorakis' soundtrack (written while he was under house arrest).
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