Good story, Not enough for a whole film

The first must-see film of the year.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Another review employs the ignorant word "pinko" not once but THREE times. This person blathers about the French pinkos. When. I reality, the book was written by a Greek, is about a Greek, is directed by a Greek, screenplay by a Greek and spoken in Greek.apparently Mr. pinko never learned any history.

From 1947 to 1949 the United States supported Greece in its fight for freedom from a Communist insurgency. This reviewer characterizes that as a "Civil War." It was not civil (most civil wars are not), but it was fought against foreign Communists supporting a Communist Geek minority in an attempt to seize control of the country.I haven't seen the movie and would prefer an actual review of the movie rather than the reviewers whine. Nothing in the review reprises the plot, discusses the actors, the writing, or the music. Much more information is needed. If the reviewer wants to blog about politics, there are many boards at other internet sites available where he will be free to spout his pro-communist diatribes to his heart's content. Please provide information about the movie and opinions about the quality.

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.

I saw this when it was first released in the US and wanted to see how much I remembered (not much!). My reaction this time: positive but tempered. It's politically correct and perhaps the most valuable thing about it is its youthful energy and idealism. It's very much of its time. My favorite element is the music which is pop and contemporary but also very Greek. Also, the character played by Trintignant-- obviously central to the film-- keeps us wondering which side he's on. That's welcome because everyone else is good or bad, i.e., boring. One of the 2 main villains is a gay pederast. I don't mind gay villains now and then, but was startled by the gratuitously mean way it was handled. Political correctness has changed a bit.