Z (5 Stars)

Today was the fourth time I've watched this film. It's unusual for me to remember every time I've watched a film. That shows what an impression it's had on me. The first time I saw it was when I was quite young, early teens I think. I saw it in the cinema with my mother. The second time was when it was shown on television. I remember discussing it with my friends in school the next day. The third time was years later, 1997, when I rented it from Blockbuster. I watched it with my girlfriend, who found it boring. For years I've been trying to get it on DVD. Last week I finally managed to get a Korean import. Region 3 NTSC, but that's why I bought a multi-regional DVD player.

"Z" was the breakthrough film for Greek director Costa-Gavras. In 1970 it was nominated for five Oscars, of which it won two. The story is set in an unnamed European country, although it's obvious that the events are closely based on the Greek revolution of 1960.

The leader of an opposition party holds a speech in the capital, condemning the fact that foreign powers have stationed missiles in his country. His views are popular, and he's the favorite to win the next elections. After the speech he's run over by a car and dies a few days later. It seems like a random accident, but an independent judge is brought in to investigate the case. He's assisted by a young reporter who was the only one who took photos on the night of the accident. Slowly he digs through the lies and cover ups until he discovers a conspiracy that is not just a local matter, but has its roots in other countries.

I can hardly praise this film enough. It's a masterpiece. Even though it's 40 years old, it's not at all dated. Just dress the people in different clothes and let them drive more modern cars, then you could imagine that the film is taking place today.