Film: Z
Director: Costa-Gavras
Country: Greece / France
Released: February 1969
Runtime: 127 minutes
Genre: Political Thriller
Studio: Varloria Films
Influenced: William Friedkin, Oliver Stone, Paul Greengrass, Aki Kaurismäki, Steven Soderbergh
Costa-Gavras, who left Greece aged 18 owing to his father's Communist ties and who found a new home in France, conceived Z as a cinematic response to the political unrest in Greece during the mid-1960s, particularly the assassination of the Greek left-wing activist Gregoris Lambrakis in 1963. The film's title, Z, refers to a popular Greek protest slogan (derived from Ancient Greek) that means, "He lives", signalling the ongoing influence of a martyr's ideas after their death. Costa-Gavras co-wrote the screenplay with Jorge Semprún, based on the 1966 novel Z by Vassilis Vassilikos, itself a fictionalised account of the Lambrakis assassination.
The film was produced by Jacques Perrin, who also starred in the film, and was shot in Algeria, standing in for Greece. A French-Algerian co-production, Z was made during a time when many politically charged films were being produced in Europe, particularly in France (see also Marcel Ophüls' The Sorrow & The Pity and Pontecorvo's earlier The Battle of Algiers). Costa-Gavras' position as an expatriate director allowed him to provide a critical outsider's perspective on the political situation in Greece.
Z opens with the arrival of a prominent leftist deputy, referred to as The Deputy, in a Greek town. The Deputy is played by Yves Montand, and his character is a thinly veiled reference to Lambrakis. The Deputy's arrival is met with tension and hostility from conservative elements in the town, particularly the police, who are depicted as being in league with right-wing militants. The Deputy is assassinated after a peace rally in a sequence that Costa-Gavras staged with brutal and shocking immediacy. However, instead of focusing on the identity of the killer, the film delves into the systemic corruption and complicity that allowed the assassination to occur. This includes a cover-up orchestrated by the police and military, revealing the depth of right-wing influence in the country.
This narrative shift in focus elevates Z from a simple murder mystery to a searing indictment of political corruption and authoritarianism. Jean-Louis Trintignant plays The Examining Magistrate, a character based on the real-life Christos Sartzetakis, who would later become President of Greece. Despite intense pressure from the establishment, The Magistrate doggedly pursues the truth behind the assassination, risking his career and safety in the process.
Z was innovative in several ways, and one of its most underrated features is its soundtrack. The stirring score of composer Mikis Theodorakis underpins the film's tense atmosphere, while Costa-Gavras also made innovative use of sound. Theodorakis was a political prisoner in Greece at the time, and the score was smuggled out of the country piece by piece. Stylistically, the film blends elements of documentary and fiction, creating a sense of urgent realism that enhanced the political message. The use of handheld cameras, naturalistic lighting and on-location shooting added to the film's dramatic energy.
Z was a critical and commercial success upon its release. It won the Jury Prize at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival and was the first film to be nominated for both Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, winning the latter in 1970. The film's stylistic innovations have been widely imitated and Z helped to popularise the political thriller genre. As damning a criticism as it was of right-wing nationalism and political corruption, Z also benefits from being dramatically engaging and not just a political diatribe, with the occasional witty line like, "Always blame the Americans. Even if you're wrong", speaking to the lazy anti-American sentiments of some of the political left.
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