Review: Z (1969)

Z

Rating

Director

Costa-Gavras

Screenplay

Jorge Semprun (Novel: Vassili Vassilikos)

Length

2h 07m

Starring

Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Francois Perier, Jacques Perrin, Charles Denner, Pierre Dux, George Geret, Bernard Fresson, Marcel Bozzufi

MPAA Rating

M/PG

Review

Political unrest and anti-democratic actions surround the events in Z, a political drama that parallels the myriad attempts by governments to install militaristic dictatorships, past and present.

Celebrated French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant takes the lead role as the Magistrate, an analogue of future Greek president Christos Sartzetakis, who investigates a clear case of police corruption surrounding the assassination of The Deputy (Yves Montand), the leader of a leftist band of anti-nuclear protesters. The police are smug and assured of their victory but an experienced investigator and a series of blunders lead the Magistrate towards his desired outcome.

Director Costa-Gavras’ French-language Algerian film Z explores the political unrest in his native country of Greece as the thinly fictionalized accounts of a political assassination carried out in 1963. Without the approval of the Greek government, Costa-Gavras does his best to unfold the events for the audience in a riveting and compelling way. Adapted from Vassili Vasilikos’ novel, screenwriter Jorge Semprun weaves the fascinating story around myriad threads that the Magistrate pulls on to begin unraveling the outrageously corrupt and frightening cover-up at the heart of the case.

The audience is bombarded with audacious and voluminous corruption, heightening their already frayed tensions as the drama unfolds. Costa-Gavras keeps the action taut and suspenseful showcasing the capability of filmmakers to turn action-light productions into exciting, nail-biting tales.

The entire film rests on Trintignant’s back as he cunningly explores the tightly-controlled narrative presented by the fascist government and looks tirelessly for the clues that will wrap up his entire investigation. As the viewer witnesses the disturbing malfeasance of the government and its military forces, they despair at the seemingly hopeless cause that Trintignant’s Magistrate is attempting to wrap up. Having an entire film resting on one man’s shoulders requires an actor of great skill to keep the audience invested. Trintignant does that brilliantly.

Although most of the prominent characters are seen in brief, especially those played by Montand and Irene Papas, these actors have no problem succeeding with their limited screen time. It’s a film that relies less on its ensemble working admirably together and more on subtle and overt moments of revelation to link everything together. These isolated performances stand out well on their own but effortlessly blend back into the story being told.

Z was one of the rare non-English language films nominated for Best Picture and it’s a testament to the political times of 1969 that it managed to score such a prestigious citation. The film makes it clear why that recognition was afforded it. It’s a fascinating political thriller whose time has once again come as a monument to historical analogs that have unfortunately become significant again.