Z ***** (1969, Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant) – Classic Movie Review 3679

The real-life 1963 murder of prominent Greek leftist Gregorios Lambrakis forms the basis for this brilliant, fast-paced political thriller from political film-maker Constantin Costa-Gavras that won the 1970 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film (Algeria). Costa-Gavras’s film Z also won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, but it was refused by the producers, upset over the film’s exclusion from the Best Motion Picture – Drama category.

Françoise Bonnot won a second Oscar for Best Film Editing. Mikis Theodorakis won the Bafta Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music. Jean-Louis Trintignant won the Best Actor Award at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival.

Yves Montand stars as the Greek liberal Deputy Z, whose public support is a threat to the powers that be, while Jean-Louis Trintignant is stunningly good as the magistrate (Le juge d’instruction), the supposed government pawn who carries his investigation deeper than necessary.

Skilful in all aspects, the movie couches its complex conspiracy theories behind a straightforward plot structure and scenes that are so suspenseful they make the palms sweat.

With a cracking screenplay by Costa-Gavras and Jorge Semprun, based on the novel by Vassilis Vassilikos, this is tremendous stuff.

Also in the cast are Jacques Pérrin, François Périer, Irene Papas, Charles Denner, Marcel Bozzufi, Pierre Dux, Julien Guiomar, Bernard Fresson, Renato Salvatori, Jean Boise, Magali Noel and Jean Dasté.

Gregorios Lambrakis, a deputy of the opposition party in Greece was fatally injured in a ‘traffic accident’ on May 22 1963. The accident theory smelled – he was assassinated by a group of extreme right-wingers.

Jean-Louis Trintignant died at his home on 17 June 2022, at the age of 91.

Trintignant’s notable films include And God Created Woman (1956), The Sleeping Car Murders (1965), A Man and a Woman (1966), The Great Silence (1968), The Man Who Lies, Costa-Gavras’s Z, My Night at Maud’s (1969), The Conformist (1970), Three Colours: Red (1994), The City of Lost Children (1995), and Amour (2012).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3679

Check out more reviews on derekwinnert.com