Totalitarianism is evil. Plain and simple.
Whether it’s communism or fascism, it is incompatible with Catholicism. The opposition to totalitarianism goes as far back as Ancient Greece and has endured to this day, although the line of who’s on whose side has been drastically blurred. The modern-day Western “anti-fascist” fancies himself as a “freedom fighter” when, in reality, he is fighting for newer and much more oppressive overlords. While the true roots of antifascism act as a sort of crossroads for both “right and left” politics (if one believes in such a thing), it is undeniable that left-leaning politics and socialists were much more extreme and devoted adherents to this ideology, especially in post WWII Europe. This brings us to Costa-Gavras’s revolutionary political thriller Z, which, while it is a little left-leaning, is a true and authentic anti-fascist film worth seeing regardless of political affiliation.
Z is based on real events, and it pulls no punches, throwing accusations and villainizing those it sees as evil. Within the first 2 minutes, after being introduced to the cast, Z opens up with perhaps the most provocative opening ever made by a political film. Costa tears off the gloves and states up front in a freeze frame, “Any similarities to real persons or events are not coincidental. It is INTENTIONAL” (Intentional is really spelled in all caps).
Z focuses on the real-life murder of Greek politician Gregorius Lambrakis and the government collusion that led to it. This assassination led to chaos and a loss of faith in government and the Royal Court, which was subsequently taken over in a military coup that favored the assassins. Costa does change names, but the circumstances and events all remain the same. The film’s title is the zeta in the Greek word Zi (he lives), which was the symbol of protest in Greece after his assassination that was graffitied all over in solidarity.
The government in real life and in Z was right-wing. The film does not condemn anyone who is right, but merely condemns those who go about in the political sphere in extreme ways. It condemns corruption, murder, and about every other Shady act that a government can do. It reminds me of the astonishing documentary The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer, which very clearly shows that the lengths that some governments will go to fight communism or socialism have them becoming the very monsters that they are trying to save people from. Instead of winning on the ideas and in the Public Square, they resort to totalitarian tactics and become just as bad as the enemy.
Z gives the audience a look at the lengths an establishment will go to to maintain order. It is a living organism that will do anything to survive and continue. It will adapt, acquire, and remove any part of itself that dares threaten its own survival, and will stop at nothing or no one to do so. We see small pieces of it scattered throughout American politics, but never have we seen it in all its ugliness as Z shows Greece’s establishment.
Z’s power ultimately lies in its craftsmanship. Despite using mostly professional actors, including the legendary Yves Montand (Wages of Fear, Le Cercle Rouge, Grand Prix) as Z, this film feels about as real as real can get. It fits in the same vein as The Battle of Algiers, where the line between reality and film seems so blurred that it feels like a documentary. Every character feels real, and every scenario feels unscripted. Editor Françoise Bonnot put together one of the most incredibly edited films of the 1960s, and perhaps the 20th century. Her editing genius, combined with a wild score by Míkis Theodorakis, truly makes Z the most pulse-pounding political thriller of the 20th century. From the very first shot, it is evident to the audience that the gas pedal was all the way to the floor and will never be lifted up. The editing and pacing never feel nauseating, keeping the inertia up until the very end.
The film fundamentally understands what true oppression is and how to effectively bring it into the light. Unlike contemporary films such as One Battle After Another that merely LARP an oppression fetish, Z was made in a time and place of astounding corruption. This understanding of Oppression is a bipartisan issue that has existed as long as government has. The left-leanings of this film are definitely not lost in the shuffle. They do not come out as strong necessarily as something like Battleship Potemkin, but nevertheless they are present. It is a shame as a Catholic to watch the death of another Christian monarchy in Europe, yet understandable given the circumstances and the manner in which they conducted themselves.
Costa-Gavras’s masterful thriller saw massive underground success upon release. It was frequently shown at Black Panther Party meetings with unanimous positive consensus. The film has continued to gain respect and accolades for members of both sides of the aisle, including a resounding endorsement from critic Armond White. This bipartisan support for Z is a testament to the universality of its messaging and how film can have a political stance in which the audience can disagree with the film’s beliefs, yet sympathize with its themes. This creative tact is something modern mainstream Hollywood films desperately lack and perhaps lies at the core of why Hollywood feels so disconnected from the rest of the world.
Z is ultimately a film as revolutionary as the revolution that it tries to inspire in its audience. It stands as a testament to the power of filmmaking and to what it looks like when everything in a film works perfectly together. As problematic as Gavras is as a person, the quality and impact of his magnum opus is undeniable and something that needs to be seen by all. Such an intense and quality piece of art is something that must be handled and approached with care. My prayer for the future of this film is that people can extrapolate the importance of fighting true injustice and oppression from it; instead of feeling justified in fighting their enemies with more intense violence.
One Wrong Move After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson may still be my favorite active filmmaker. His films have always had an originality and a unique aesthetic that I would liken to the work of Stanley Kubrick. Any time he announces a project, I tend to plan my year around it. But as information came out and the year has progressed,
Inspiring piece! This film has been on my radar for a while, and after reading this article, I will definitely be seeing it in the future. I've already seen another film by Costa-Gavras, 1982's "Missing," starring Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek, which is also worth watching. Though similarly left-leaning, the film is ethically sound in its treatment of human rights and government corruption, and it features a mature understanding of the generation gap that neither villainizes nor ridicules the conservative values of the Greatest Generation.