ZThose who threaten the power base of a paranoid government tend to become targets of said regime. In 1963, Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis was assassinated by two men in a three-wheeled truck, struck in the head with a club, in plain view of attendees of a rally, where he delivered an anti-war speech. This is a fact, although the parties which conspired to kill the leader of the leftist party had also conspired to prevent this fact from coming to light. The investigation into the assassination eventually revealed the political connections; these events serve as the basis for Z.
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Z--a letter which signifies "he lives" in Greek--begins with a meeting of the military arm of the government, alongside other right-wing members of the government. A speech is given in abstract terms, describing how mildew is prevented on vines, with a solution sprayed upon them to keep them verdant. There is also talk of increased sunspots, and correlations between these abstractions and the leftist movement inspired and led by the opposition deputy inspired by Lambrakis, played by Yves Montand. In short, the opinion of the government--and the propaganda spread in the fashion of this speech--purport that the leftists are a disease which must be wiped out. Were that this was merely the political hyperbole of their faction, it would be hateful but harmless; but it is intentionally spread to raise the hatred of the very people in Greece who might benefit from an improved way of life, those who suffer under the economic malnourishment fostered by the government, well aware that keeping a people dependent on you makes them into your slaves. Z is a political thriller of the highest degree, a tightly woven tapestry of plots and deception. I had to double check to verify that this film was made in 1969, because the taut editing and sharp direction makes this film feel as modern as those which have no doubt been influenced by its radical and intense presentation. Memory plays a large part in Z; when the deputy's widow, Helene (Irene Papas) learns of her husband's death, she smells his bottle of cologne. The olfactory senses are the most closely tied to memory, and memories often flash before the eyes of our characters, giving us key insights into their individual thoughts, offering depth to characters we may only know for a brief while. The film wears its cynicism of government conspiracy--a frequent topic in the milieu of director Costa-Gavras--on its sleeve with pride, and leaves no doubt as to who the heroes and villains are. The film also opens with a disclaimer, which wryly asserts that "any similarities with actual persons or individuals is intentional", a bold challenge to those who abuse their power to reveal their hypocrisy by retaliating against the truth. But there is that loaded word: "truth". There are moments in Z which even challenge our perception of the truth, via the examining magistrate after the "incident", based on real-life investigator and attorney, Christos Sartzetakis, and played by Jean-Louis Trintignant, who attempts to piece together the events surrounding the killing, and determine motive as well as catch the perjurers in their lies. What is true remains most suspect when the magistrate takes the testimonies of "the general" and lead conspirator, based on Konstantinos Mitsou, played by Pierre Dux, and we know the events he recalls are lies, because what is visualized per his account is different than what we had seen actually take place at the time of the assassination. But what is more interesting is that subsequent accounts of the events by a witness recalling one of the assassins, Yago (Renato Salvatori), shares his testimony, effectively indicting the man. The government tries to shut him up--between implying that he is an epileptic and even trying to kill him in the same fashion as the murdered deputy. The witness stands to benefit from his testimony--except for the attempts on his life, that is--making even his account appear motivated by greed.
The flashbacks--often quick and without introduction--are the memories of witnesses, and may sometimes be exaggerated or outright false; only the camera can remain wholly objective. And even there, the "camera" is occasionally used for profit by exploiting the truth, as is the case with the photojournalist (played by Jacques Perrin), who sneaks into several places to get people to slip up and reveal themselves, stealthfully taking snapshots without prior disclosure. The photojournalist is the one who finally recounts the events following the dramatic climax of Z, revealing the extent of the government conspiracy beyond this case...only to be recorded as a victim of the tyrannical plot himself when his narration is overtaken by the voice of a faceless woman, acknowledging just how far the fascist government went with its oppressive control, even banning the very letter "Z" because of its implications. The conspiracy in Z finds its footing, because so many people are in on it; from the anti-communist group--and violent extension of the right-wing fascists in power--called "CROC", to the highest ranking member of the very police force meant to protect and serve, the blame gets spread around so much and the perpetrators seem removed enough so they can try to claim that they were ignorant of the events which transpired. The magistrate sees through this ruse, but remains neutral and objective; he avoids allowing his emotions to get the better of him, and presents facts as often as possible. It is interesting that he frequently refers to the murder as the "incident" prior to the evidence revealing otherwise, save for when it slips out when the obviously suspect testimony of the police chief's driver causes him to describe it as the murder it is. What makes the opposition deputy a target is that he endorses an idea antithetical to the actual ideology of the government, a message of peace. Both the leader of CROC and even the attorney general speak of a wish for a nation removed from "left wing" and "right wing", a country without parties. The speeches makes it sound like they wish for moderation, when in fact the unspoken message is that they wish for the annihilation of those that challenge them; but an idea is hard to kill. The method most commonly employed by the conspirators in their attempts to kill the leftists is to bash them on the head with a club. While this is factually aligned with the events of Lambrakis' death, it is also a metaphor that illuminates that the assassins seek to kill the idea at its source--hit them in the head where the thinking happens. And what kind of villain would try to destroy your mind, enslave you economically, and repress your humanity? Look to your history books, and be grateful for those who exposed the fascists who would leash you in mind and body.
Recommended for: Fans of a stylish political thriller based very closely on actual events which took place in Greece in the 1960s. Z is an alarmingly tense story, but what makes it so shocking and even horrifying is that it happened very closely in accordance with the plot of the film, and highlights just how easy it is for a government to abuse its power, and almost get away with it.
The flashbacks--often quick and without introduction--are the memories of witnesses, and may sometimes be exaggerated or outright false; only the camera can remain wholly objective. And even there, the "camera" is occasionally used for profit by exploiting the truth, as is the case with the photojournalist (played by Jacques Perrin), who sneaks into several places to get people to slip up and reveal themselves, stealthfully taking snapshots without prior disclosure. The photojournalist is the one who finally recounts the events following the dramatic climax of Z, revealing the extent of the government conspiracy beyond this case...only to be recorded as a victim of the tyrannical plot himself when his narration is overtaken by the voice of a faceless woman, acknowledging just how far the fascist government went with its oppressive control, even banning the very letter "Z" because of its implications. The conspiracy in Z finds its footing, because so many people are in on it; from the anti-communist group--and violent extension of the right-wing fascists in power--called "CROC", to the highest ranking member of the very police force meant to protect and serve, the blame gets spread around so much and the perpetrators seem removed enough so they can try to claim that they were ignorant of the events which transpired. The magistrate sees through this ruse, but remains neutral and objective; he avoids allowing his emotions to get the better of him, and presents facts as often as possible. It is interesting that he frequently refers to the murder as the "incident" prior to the evidence revealing otherwise, save for when it slips out when the obviously suspect testimony of the police chief's driver causes him to describe it as the murder it is. What makes the opposition deputy a target is that he endorses an idea antithetical to the actual ideology of the government, a message of peace. Both the leader of CROC and even the attorney general speak of a wish for a nation removed from "left wing" and "right wing", a country without parties. The speeches makes it sound like they wish for moderation, when in fact the unspoken message is that they wish for the annihilation of those that challenge them; but an idea is hard to kill. The method most commonly employed by the conspirators in their attempts to kill the leftists is to bash them on the head with a club. While this is factually aligned with the events of Lambrakis' death, it is also a metaphor that illuminates that the assassins seek to kill the idea at its source--hit them in the head where the thinking happens. And what kind of villain would try to destroy your mind, enslave you economically, and repress your humanity? Look to your history books, and be grateful for those who exposed the fascists who would leash you in mind and body.
Recommended for: Fans of a stylish political thriller based very closely on actual events which took place in Greece in the 1960s. Z is an alarmingly tense story, but what makes it so shocking and even horrifying is that it happened very closely in accordance with the plot of the film, and highlights just how easy it is for a government to abuse its power, and almost get away with it.