Z

The more things change, the more they stay the same. From the opening “disclaimer”, all the way until the final words are uttered, just an absolute masterpiece. I watched this not knowing the background of the real events depicted in this story and throughout the film, in the back of my head I was trying to map what I was seeing onto a specific place, time period, and set of people. The reality is, despite very much being a true story, Costa-Gavras depicts it all with such visceral universality, urgency and sheer filmmaking flair that it transcends this specific isolated (albeit important) story and turns into something even more far reaching and powerful. Always in awe of art’s ability to refract the core notions that define our world, with its endless domineering systems, and translate them across time and place. Hard to imagine a political thriller that does it as well, and as ultimately damning, as Z does.