Movie Review – Z

Z (1969) – A political thriller following the assassination of a leading left wing politician an investigator tries to find the truth.  The authorities insist that the death of Z (Yves Montand) was the result of an accident but the investigator (Jean Louis Tritignant) refuses to be distracted.  He pursues the truth to the very end.

This is an challenging movie that many folks will find difficult.  First it is entirely in French with subtitles.  Director Costa Gravas brings a gritty, documentary style to the look of the movie while the script offers a black comedy look at the politics of a military junta government.  Based on a book of the same name by  Vassilis Vassilikos it is based very clearly on actual events in Greece under a military dictatorship.  The actual investigator eventually rose to be President of a democratic Greece.

The intensity of the thriller is skillfully balanced by Costa Gravas with the satire of the story.  There are times when the shoe string budget of the production is obvious but the story is relentless.  There is an intensity to politics in a nation smaller than our own that is hypnotic in the hands of a great director.

This movie requires your complete attention for 127 minutes but you’ll be glad to make the investment.  Not a movie for a day when you are looking for some light viewing but a movie that will stick with you.

Rating – **** Recommended