Z (1969)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
In a northern Greek city in the 1960's, a leading opposition politician is attacked on the street while his party is holding a rally and later dies in hospital. The dead man's left of center party was against any type of foreign intervention in national affairs and was seen by the right wing party in power as a threat to national security. The cover-up begins almost immediately with the police claiming that the dead man was struck by a drunk driver. A prosecutor is assigned to the case and he meticulously interviews everyone involved, slowly gathering evidence that shows the extent to which the assassination was potted by senior policemen and right-wing extremists. Getting appropriate actions from the State proves to be something else entirely. - Actors:
- Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant, François Périer, Jacques Perrin, Charles Denner, Pierre Dux, Georges Géret, Bernard Fresson, Marcel Bozzuffi, Julien Guiomar, Magali Noël, Renato Salvatori, Habib Reda, Clotilde Joano, Maurice Baquet, Sid Ahmed Agoumi, Allel El Mouhib, Hassan Hassani, Gérard Darrieu
- Directors:
- Costa-Gavras
- Producers:
- Philippe d'Argila, Jacques Perrin, Ahmed Rachedi, Eric Schlumberger
- Voiced By:
- Francois Chaumette
- Writers:
- Vassilis Vassilikos, Jorge Semprún, Costa-Gavras, Ben Barzman
- Others:
- Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jorge Semprún, Françoise Bonnot, Mikis Theodorakis, Hamed Rachedi
- Aka:
- Z - Anatomie eines politischen Mordes
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- Acting Up: Top 10 Performances At Cannes, Award Winners, Cinema Paradiso's 2024 Centenary Club: Part 2, Cinema Paradiso's 2025 Centenary Club: July - September, Oscar Nominations Competition 2024, Oscar Nominations Competition 2025, A Brief History of Film..., Top Films
- Countries:
- France
- Awards:
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Reviews (1) of Z
Paranoia, Politics, and a Paperwork Cover-Up - Z review by griggs
You can practically see the paranoia thriller being invented here — except it’s European, angrier, and not remotely bothered about being “cool”. Where the American ’70s ones often whisper their mistrust, Z just grabs you and says, “Nope. This is how it works.”
Yves Montand is the spark: a decent, pro-disarmament deputy whose existence seems to scare the life out of the wrong people. Then Jean-Louis Trintignant turns up as the investigating magistrate and the film becomes this grim little procedural. It’s less “who did it?” and more “how did they pull it off, and who’s leaning on who to make it go away?” Watching him keep pushing feels weirdly satisfying, like someone finally refusing to take the hint.
Costa-Gavras stages it like a panic attack with paperwork: quiet dread, sudden public chaos, then the slow squeeze of bureaucracy and intimidation. It’s fast, sharp, and properly bleak — consequence over comfort — and that’s exactly why it lingers.