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Z
1969 122 min Algeria, France 18+
★8.6
Thriller, Crime, Drama
Director: Costa-Gavras
📖 Based on the novel
«Z»
byVassilis Vassilikos
Trailers
Description
A prominent politician is murdered during a demonstration. The government and army are trying to suppress the truth, but a tenacious magistrate is determined to not to let them get away with it.
US Gross:
$83,305
Worldwide:
$83,305
Starring
Yves Montand
Actor
Irene Papas
Actor
Jean-Louis Trintignant
Actor
Awards
BAFTA 1970
— Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
Cannes Film Festival 1969
— Jury Prize
Cannes Film Festival 1969
— Silver Award – Best Actor
BAFTA 1970
— Best Film Editing
BAFTA 1970
— Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
Cannes Film Festival 1969
— Jury Prize
BAFTA 1970
— United Nations Award
Academy Awards 1970
— Best Director
Academy Awards 1970
— Best Picture
Cannes Film Festival 1969
— Silver Award – Best Actor
Academy Awards 1970
— Best International Feature Film
Golden Globe 1970
— Best International Feature Film
Academy Awards 1970
— Best Adapted Screenplay
Academy Awards 1970
— Best Film Editing
Key opinion
Costa-Gavras's 'Z' is widely regarded as a masterful, politically charged thriller that remains chillingly relevant in its depiction of state-sanctioned corruption and the subversion of democracy. While a few viewers find its pacing disjointed or its political allegiances simplistic, the consensus praises its intense investigative narrative, precise performances, and sharp, kinetic direction.
| Theme | The film functions as a powerful, enduring critique of how authoritarian forces can dismantle democratic structures under the guise of institutional order. | |
| Acting | Jean-Louis Trintignant delivers an exceptional, focused performance that serves as the moral and investigative anchor of the film. | |
| Score | Mikis Theodorakis’s evocative score and the sharp, kinetic editing create a pervasive sense of unease and narrative urgency. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the structure are split: some find the first half's chaotic, collage-like pacing disjointed and confusing, while others find it essential to the film's tense, documentary-style atmosphere. | |
| Culture | Viewers are divided on the film's political framing, with some praising its humanist stance against extremism and others criticizing its depiction of liberals as naïve or its binary portrayal of political factions. |