Review of Z (1969) by Michael O — 18 Sep 2008
"Z" and "The Battle of Algiers" still remain the mothers of all political thrillers. They set the standard and they've raised the highest bar. I haven't seen a Costa-Gavras film before but I will see his pictures from here on.
Raoul Coutard is a man this film couldn't have done without. His naturalistic photography is realistic without having to be handheld doc-style style stuff like "BoA" or their brainchild "Traffic".
Pay attention to the way names are used in this film and pay closer attention to the editing style if you can. "Z" is too slick even for modern times. It drives everything home.
(The most unique thing about the movie is how socially conscious the film presents itself yet subversively drives the audience to want to smash down the bad guys and root for justice. A very old fashioned Hollywood idea. Tried and true. Just very odd for a movie as innovative as this one. It's all about the form.).
This review of Z (1969) was written by Michael O on 18 Sep 2008.
Z has generally received very positive reviews.
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