Z (movie)

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Movie
German title Z
Original title Z
Country of production France , Algeria
original language French
Publishing year 1969
length 127 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Constantin Costa-Gavras
script Constantin Costa-Gavras
Jorge Semprún
production Jacques Perrin
Ahmed Rachedi
Eric Schlumberger
Philippe d'Argila
music Mikis Theodorakis
camera Raoul Coutard
cut Françoise Bonnot
occupation

Z (from modern Greek Ζεί Zi 'he lives', alternative title Z - anatomy of a political murder) is a French - Algerian fictional film from 1969 based on the novel of the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos . The film, directed by Constantin Costa-Gavras and against the backdrop of the Greek military dictatorship , is considered a genre-forming classic of politically active cinema (see political thriller ). The film was first shown in France on February 26, 1969.

action

An unnamed state, in which the military and the royal family rule and democracy is being increasingly undermined, only tolerates opposition as “communist mildew ” reluctantly. When a pacifist opposition group wanted to hold an event with a popular university professor, parliamentarian and NATO critic, obstacles were initially put in the way of this event. The politician is murdered in front of the police after the event.

The police and the military try to portray the murder as an accident. A young examining magistrate is tasked with the investigation and is expected to confirm this result. The judge shows responsibility and determines the case just as meticulously as stubbornly. He patiently listens to pressures from superiors and the military, only to then silently ignore them.

Charges against various people from the military do not lead to their conviction, however, since several witnesses are killed under strange circumstances and the proceedings are brought to a standstill by a military coup. Even the journalist who made his research results available to the investigating judge is jailed.

background

In the opening credits of the film it says: "Correspondence with people and true events is wanted"; What is clearly shown is the situation in Greece shortly before the start of the military dictatorship in 1967.

The factual novel "Z" by Vassilis Vassilikos is about the murder of the left opposition politician Grigoris Lambrakis in Saloniki (Greece) on May 22nd, 1963 and the following trial, which lasted until 1966. The events went down in history as the " Lambrakis Affair ".

The intrepid investigating judge , Christos Sartzetakis , later became the Greek President (1985–1990).

When Constantin Costa-Gavras, moved by the human and political scandal in his home country, set to work on his film, initially nobody wanted to support this daring project out of fear. Eventually, Eric Schlumberger and Jacques Perrin set up their own production company outside of Greece to finance the film. They found support from Yves Montand , Jean-Louis Trintignant , Irene Papas and other top-class actors who waived a large part of their fee for the implementation of the film material. The music of Mikis Theodorakis , who, incidentally, founded the Lambrakis youth movement in 1963 and was its chairman, played a decisive role in the film .

The film could not be shot in Greece, the shooting took place in Algiers .

As heard from the narrator at the end (and read in the credits ), in one breath the military forbade men to wear long hair, miniskirts , Sophocles , Tolstoy , Euripides , throwing glasses after toasts, labor disputes or strikes , Aristophanes , Ionesco , Sartre , Albee , Pinter , freedom of the press , sociology , Beckett , Dostoevsky , modern music ( pop music ), folk music , modern mathematics and the [use of] the letter " Z ". In Greek Ζεί , spoken Zi , means "he lives". This sentence was shortened to “ Z ” and used as a slogan by the Lambrakis supporters after his murder .

criticism

"[...] Costa-Gavras staged an exciting, committed, highly emotional and sometimes angry polemical political thriller that evokes the dangers of entangling state and group interests."

- film service :

“The film, staged as a suspenseful thriller, deliberately dispenses with documentary reproduction in favor of a general accusation against ideological terror and the corrupt exercise of power. Suitable for visitors from 16 years. "

- Protestant film observer : Review No. 23/1970, p. 28

Awards

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Z. In: Lexicon of international film . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used