Z (1969)
Genre: Drama / Mystery
Duration: 127 minuten
Country:
France / Algeria
Directed by: Costa-Gavras
Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Irene Papas and Yves Montand
IMDb score:
8,1 (33.771)
Releasedate: 26 February 1969
Z plot
"He is alive!"
A leftist politician is killed during a demonstration against advancing fascism and nuclear weapons. Supposedly 'accidentally', but the investigating judge soon notices that there is more going on. The government, of course, denies everything, and tries to cover up the matter. There has been great commotion among the population, and the letter Z has frequently been painted on walls in the cities. It stands for 'Say'; 'he's alive'. The film then follows the investigating judge's quest for the truth.
Actors and actresses
The Deputy, a doctor
Hélène, wife of the Deputy
Examining Magistrate
Photojournalist
Manuel, friend of the Deputy, lawyer
Public Prosecutor
Matt, friend of the Deputy, lawyer
Gendarmerie General Missou
Nick
Nick's Sister
Reviews & comments
arno74
-
- 8700 messages
- 3342 votes
Agree with my predecessor. The beginning could have been smoother and shorter, although it is clear that the director tries (successfully) to capture the tense political atmosphere in which this story takes place. Once that's done it picks up speed, with more intrigue and suspense. After Missing this is my second Costa-Gavras. Solid. 3.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
-
- 11421 messages
- 6719 votes
Friendly.
Film that has its strengths and weaknesses. I was hoping for some sort of The Battle of Algiers with this film, but unfortunately I didn't get that. I also think I have to accept that TBOA is a one-of-a-kind film, one that you won't see again in the 60s. This Z is also difficult to compare with a TBOA, despite the fact that it does have similarities.
Z is in any case a lot more sentimental and has enough overacting characters that make it all feel a bit less realistic. In addition, the conversations that fill the central part of the film are completely uninteresting because the characters seem to have no soul or heart. It all feels too much like a play that suppresses the more realistic and rawer scenes of the film.
And that's a shame because those scenes are very good. Strong build-up, sometimes impressive scenes of violence that are portrayed quite well despite the old charm they have. Nicely nonchalantly delivered that manages to give it that little bit extra. It is of course not perfect direction, but it is definitely distinctive.
Furthermore, the film ripples along and meanwhile touches on some social designs that give it a deeper layer. They are certainly repeated, but still of great importance. It's just a shame that Z doesn't always manage to present them interestingly. Would have made a world of difference, but otherwise the fairly direct direction that the film can rely on helps quite a bit.
Z isn't a bad movie as I mentioned earlier, but it isn't a special one either. Quite impressive for the time in which it was made, but it lacks that realistic atmosphere that similar films can benefit from. That is missing in this film, but I got through it quickly and the 127 minutes are only a challenge in the middle part. Entertaining happening.
Translated from Dutch · View originalLatest News
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