ballju Several of my favorite films were directed by Greek-French film director Costa-Gavras. Z, State Of Siege, Missing, and the Confession. The mixing of the thriller genre and universal political themes not only makes for very interesting films but also thought provoking ones.His first serious film was Z. A film that won Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. It follows an idealistic judge investigating the killing of left wing politician. A fatal club strikes said politician and a cover up story of a drunk driver emerges. The film appears to end on a positive ending however at the very end those about to be criminally charged seize power. This ending the result of frustration related to the US-backed coup in Greece.State of Siege was based on Costa-Gavras's and Franco Solinas (The Battle of Algiers Screenwriter) investigation into Daniel A. Mitrone. Mitrone was kidnapped and eventually executed by Tupamaros urban guerrillas in Uruguay. Costa-Gavras read news headlines that changed his description from Official to Policeman to Diplomat. Why would the Tupamaros be interested in an "traffic and communications" adviser?This movie has a similar outline as Z as both were meant to be frustrating critically commentary of events at the time. The actions look pointless but there are no alternative choices apparent. The urban guerrillas will continue to fight,the government will continue to use US taught torture methods, and US companies will continue to exploit the country.

Eric Stevenson Well, I always want to watch movies that set significant world records and this was one of them. This set the record for shortest movie title to ever win an Oscar. It was weird because watching this, it just seemed to have no meaning. I thought maybe it was meant to represent finality. You know with "Z" being the last letter of the alphabet. Well, it did reveal its meaning at the very end of the film, so I was at least partly right. It says that the letter "Z" has been banned from Greece. Well, nobody used it anyway. The ending is easily the most noteworthy thing about the movie too.The film tells the real life story of a Greek senator who was killed with everyone investigating his death and discovering it was not an accident as originally thought but an assassination. Then we find out that the country of Greece has lost tons of its freedom after his death with too many things to list now banned. Roll credits. Wow, that was a depressing ending. Well, it was based on a true story so I can sadly assume the same thing happened in real life. It's always great to watch a movie based on real life events, especially one as great as this. I feel bad for having no idea that this event ever even happened.Then again, I'm not familiar with modern Greek history at all. Maybe I did hear about this guy sometime but just forgot about him. At least we have this great movie to remember him by. Speaking of real life, I really am glad I saw this on the day of Donald Trump's inauguration. I didn't go through all the effort of watching it, but instead learned a real life story about civil unrest and the loss of freedom. I'm always optimistic, but we really need to be hopeful for this situation. As with most films like this, the acting is fantastic. Everything is so realistic because well, the people worked so hard to honor these brave people who lost their lives in real life. While not as good as "Saving Private Ryan" or "United 93", it's still a true gem.I thought that a movie in French would talk about the history of France. It took me awhile to realize it was about Greece! Well, I'm sure countries can make movies about other country's history. This is one of the most accoladed foreign language films ever made. It's great that we open ourselves up to the great things other countries have given us and even other countries that those countries honor. I didn't know how long this movie was, but I was certainly sad when it ended. Whatever situations give us downer endings in any story, just know there's always the potential for something better up the road, just like right now. ****

sandnair87 Almost 5 decades later, 'Z', Costa-Gavras' glimpse into the machinations of political violence, intolerance, willful ignorance, and systemic oppression has lost none of its urgent relevance. It continues to remain a one-of-a-kind political thriller, where the 'political' takes precedence over the 'thriller' but still never loses its grip on the audience.Based on tumultuous, barely-disguised events (the opening caption brazenly trumpets: "Any resemblance to real events, to persons living or dead, is not accidental. It is DELIBERATE") involving the murder of leftist politician Grigoris Lambrakis in early 1960s Greece, Z galvanized audiences worldwide. The story here however, unfolds in an unnamed country where the power is in the hands of a military dictatorship. The government though officially a democracy, has become infected by fascist ideals. The government secretly uses right-wing hooligans to stir up trouble and eliminate 'enemies of the state'. This has led to the so-called political slippery slope whose end point can be anything from fascism to a dictatorship. A pacifist firebrand, Zei (Yves Montand), arrives from abroad to lead a peace rally, provoking a riot and an assassination. In the aftermath of this unrest, a young judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is appointed by the state to hear the assassins' case, with the assumption that he'll buckle under pressure from the regime (especially the General played by Pierre Dux who clearly played a role in the assassination), to make Zei's death look like an accident. Instead, the judge is unexpectedly resolute about finding out the truth and slowly amasses evidence that proves otherwise. The flames are further fanned by an enterprising journalist (played by Jacques Perrin) who knows a good story and is able to identify many of the accomplices. Z is disquieting not only because the events actually happened, but because we sense they could happen again, closer to home. Using the investigation as the film's narrative backbone, Costa-Gavras takes us through the dizzying - at times infuriating, at times almost surreal - process of ferreting out the truth in a politically charged cover-up that, despite its historical specificity, is a powerful celluloid indictment of the general abuse of power that comes under any form of fascism. A treatise on politics that's also a tightly woven pulp thriller, with lissome, restless camera-work, staccato editing and a zither-driven score, Z makes political intelligence seem swankier than a tuxedo. Z is a thrilling, compelling run through with vivid supporting characters and narrative twists and turns that have the dramatic punch of fiction even when based on real events. In its slick cinematic urgency and its outrage, Z still has the power to shake you up.

steve-623-15461 I won't add anything regarding the films story as loads of other reviewers have done a better job than I could.All I will say is this film to me is designed like a funnel: From the start you have intense threads of action and discussion/consequences that slowly gather together and compress until the film is focused, charging towards the finish.Acting is fantastic - this film has a nervous energy and authenticity that is hard to match.When you watch it you realize you are not only seeing a great film, but also reliving an important slice of history.