cinemadaily | “Z” Thrills the Criterion Collection

In his 1969 review of the film, the Chicago Sun-Times’ Roger Ebert comments on the contemporary politics of the film, “The movie at first seems to end with triumph. The rotten core of the government is exposed. The military men and the police chief are indicted for murder, official misconduct, obstructing justice. One of the assassinated leader’s young followers races to bring the widow the good news. He finds her waiting by the seashore. He is triumphant; justice will be done; the government will fall. Irene Papas hears his news silently and then turns and looks out to sea. Her face reflects no triumph; only suffering and despair. What is really left for her to say?  Nothing, as we know now. The right wing won in the long run and controls Greece today. This film’s director, writer, composer and Miss Papas are all banned in Greece…Even the letter “Z” (which means “he is alive”) is banned in Greece.”

Praising the film for its timelessness, Dallas Morning Star‘s Chris Vognar says, “Here is a lightning-paced thriller devoid not just of explosions but of gunfire, an edge-of-your-seat procedural drama fueled by ideas, not gimmicks. If you were to see Z in a theater, as you might have when it was re-released this year, the surprise would scarcely be greater if your ticket taker had six arms.  And after you watch Criterion’s new edition of Z, delivered in one of the distributor’s customary pristine digital transfers, you might be tempted to stay put, return to the menu and soak it all in a second time.”

DVD Talk‘s Jamie S. Rich highly recommends the new release, saying, “Costa-Gavras’ ‘Z’ is a remarkable recreation of a volatile political tragedy. Adopting a “just the facts” approach and a pseudo-documentarian style, the director sifts through the events before and after an attack on a Socialist leader (Yves Montand) in Greece, building its case and challenging audience perceptions without ever being dogmatic. The new Criterion edition presents the movie with a beautiful new transfer and a handful of informative extras, shedding new light on an important, influential picture.”

DVD Town‘s Christopher Long says of the picture quality, “The film is presented in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The restored high-def transfer is supervised by [cinematographer] Raoul Coutard and looks as sharp as you would expect from Criterion. It preserves a fine grainy look and its inky black sets just the right mood for this dark political exposé.” 

As far as extras go, few reviewers don’t mention the new disc’s interviews with the filmmaker and cinematographer, but DVD Verdict‘s Tom Becker recommends another extra, “If, like me, you’re not up on the post-WW2 political history of Greece, the commentary by film historian Peter Cowie is essential listening. While he occasionally points out the obvious, this is overall a rich, informative track filled with background about the politics of the film, as well as a lot of information about Costa-Gavras and the making of Z. It’s an outstanding track that really adds to the viewing experience.”

Read Andrew O’Hehir’s interview with Costa-Gavras from earlier this year on Salon here, and listen to Leonard Lopate’s WNYC interview here.