“Any resemblance to real events, to persons living or dead, is not accidental. It is DELIBERATE.”
Criterion Collection #491 is the 1969 French film Z. I have to admit that I have a strange fondness for films released the year I was born and that was the initial impetus that drew me to this film. However, I was richly rewarded with a darkly satirical political thriller. Z left me feeling very angry and on the verge of outrage for, as the above disclaimer from the film indicates, the events depicted cinematically actually happened in the real world. Sure, the names were changed and the location was made ambiguous, but there is no doubt that this documentary-style film depicts the 1963 assassination of democratic Greek politician Gregoris Lambrakis, as does the novel it is based on. Directed by Costa-Gavras from a screenplay by Costa-Gavras and Jorge Semprún (adapted from Vassilis Vassilikos’ novel), Z is almost stark in its presentation and, while imminently satirical and darkly humorous, never veers into the guffaw-inducing heights of, say, Dr. Strangelove. And while this is probably not Costa-Gavras’ best film (in my opinion that would be his next film, L’Aveu), this is certainly my personal favorite of his filmography. Two things, in particular, stand out to me here. One is that Costa-Gavras’ seldom lets the camera rest. This accentuates the documentary feel, as if “you are there.” It also gives a faster pace feel to what would otherwise be static dialogue scenes, such as when characters are being interrogated. Secondly, Costa-Gavras utilizes the technique whereby he has one character on one side of a conversation and cuts between other characters on the other side of the conversation. In fact, a lot of his his scene transitions are quick and direct which, again, adds a kinetic, real feel to the story.
“Ζει – He Lives”
As for as how this DVD looks and sounds, once again Criterion have outdone themselves. The picture is astonishingly free of grit, scratches, splices and all other imperfections. These new transfer was supervised and signed off by the film’s cinematographer, Raoul Coutard and was meticulously cleaned frame by frame. Likewise, this new 24-bit remastered sound has had all pops, hisses and clicks painstakingly removed and is incredibly vibrant. On my 36″ LCD HD-TV and my simple home theater surround sound system this film was amazing to behold. Every thing was crisp and clear, the blacks were solid and I detected no artifacting at all. I doubt it looked and sounded this good on its first run in the theaters forty years ago and it is a credit to the artists that Criterion employs to engineer their transfers. Criterion is truly the Harvard Press of the DVD market.
“The assassinated person is always right”
For those unfamiliar with Criterion and their archive quality releases, National Public Radio’s Neda Ulaby once described their discs as “a film school in a box” and Z is no exception. Criterion long ago pioneered original aspect ratios and commentary tracks for the home video market (indeed, it is arguable such features may not have existed on DVDs had it not been for Criterion) and both are present here, the latter provided by film historian Peter Cowie. Cowie does provide some great insights into the film, but, to me, the meatier features were the two interviews conducted this year with Costa-Gavras and Coutard, respectively. Both men are very candid about the state of affairs in Greece at the time as well as their backgrounds and creative approaches to making this film. Of particular interest are Costa-Gavras’ brief history of Greece from World War II to the early sixties, the reaction to the film upon its release and the unusual way in which the score was created. Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis was actually in political exile and interred in a concentration camp when he composed this score, smuggling notes to and from the director through Costa-Gavras’ wife. Theodorakis’ exile was a main reason for the director choosing him for the music. Coutard gives some great insight into how he works with directors and the unusual camera setups that Costa-Gavras chose for the film. These two interviews alone make this disc a worthy addition to your home library, but they are only a part of the additional features.
Also included are archival interviews with Costa-Gavras and Coutard, which serve as great bookends with the recent interviews, as well as conversations with actors Jacques Perrin, Pierre Dux, Yves Montand, Irene Papas and Jean-Loius Trintignant. All of these are wonderful insights into what each actor thought of making the film and the events it depicts. Perhaps the best of the archival features is the interview with the novelist Vassilis Vassilikos. Vassilikos was very familiar with the events he writes about and his research was very thorough. You’ll have a greater understanding of how truly tragic the murder of Lambrakis was and how unimaginably vast the conspiracy was to not only cover this up but usher in the societal lock-down by the government that was in motion at the time. The closing credits of the film enumerate the long list of things that were banned by the junta in Greece in the 60’s, but hearing Vassilikos talked about the political and military corruption is just as shocking. Powerful stuff. All of this is rounded out by a theatrical trailer and a booklet with a fascinating essay by critic Armond White.
Films like Z are historically and culturally important to preserve and be view by generation after generation, if only to keep humanity from venturing down dark paths already firmly walked upon. Fortunately we have Criterion Collection to not only archive them for us, but to also add materials which enhance our understanding of films like this and, more importantly, the historical context in which the real life stories took place. Z is a welcome addition to the Criterion Collection and belongs in your film collection.
DISC FEATURES
*New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by cinematographer Raoul Coutard
* Audio commentary featuring film historian Peter Cowie
* New interviews with Costa-Gavras and Coutard
* Archival interviews with Costa-Gavras; producer-actor Jacques Perrin; actors Pierre Dux, Yves Montand, Irène Papas, and Jean-Louis Trintignant; and Vassilis Vassilikos, author of the book Z
* Theatrical trailer
* New and improved English subtitle translation
* PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Armond White