Z
Director: Costa-Gavras
Year Released: 1969
Rating: 3.0
Following the death of a leftist physician (Yves Montand), an investigation is started (and led by the inimitable Jean-Louis Trintignant) into who's responsible ... and as it turns out, there are a lot of people with blood on their hands, extending all the way to prominent government officials. More effective as a skillfully filmed police procedural rather than a condemnation of corrupt government practices (or methodically conceived analysis of political issues, as Montand is basically established as a proto-Marxist sacrificial lamb and little more), this is aided tremendously by accomplished French New Wave cinematographer Raoul Coutard and Jorge Semprún's lithe script, not to mention Trintignant's commanding performance as the head investigator who manages to trap several people in outright lies. You may find yourself - as I did - rooting for "the good guys" to get "the bad guys," though particulars are a tad skimpy.
