Costa-Gravas's Z
I'm presently working in French, Level 5, Lesson 15 which deals with filling out official forms and use of terms such as first name, last name (family name), and middle name. Working with this vocabulary reminded me of the first French film I ever saw in a theater: Costa-Gravas's Z. For anyone who hasn't yet seen it, I recommend it highly. It's incredibly exciting as well as thought provoking.
Without giving too much away, I will say that the plot involves, among other things, a magistrate who is investigating an assassination. When he interviews witnesses and suspects, the interviews begin with him asking: "Nom, prénom, profession." As the investigation picks up speed, the interviews of suspects become more rapid. As one after another of the suspects come through the door we hear the words "nom, prénom, profession," accompanied by the amazing score by Miklis Theodorakis which becomes more and more urgent while we watch the ball of a selectric typewriter speed across the screen.
This may not sound very exciting, but I assure you that my heart was racing when I first saw this film and, in my opinion, it hasn't lost any of its power in the ensuing years. I encourage you to give it a chance.
Status:
Open Sep 25, 2017 - 04:44 PM
French, French > Culture