Rating: 4.5/5
Any similarity to real persons and events is not coincidental. It is intentional
The film opens with a right-wing authoritarian regime having a boring talk, comparing mildew on young plants to the infiltration of leftist ideology — a “mildew of the mind.”
Later, an influential politician on the left gives a talk, while hands hired by the government start riots and try to take the leader out — the film follows the fallout and the reporter trying to piece it all together
Based on the circumstances surrounding the assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis, this influential film transformed political thrillers, incorporating documentary-style filming and the stories of factual events, giving the movie a greater sense of grounded reality
The result is a charged, frustrating, and sometimes comical circus of he said/she said — government, police, military, and press corroborating in killing a political leader to halt a peaceful political movement and the few who just want the truth
What a brilliant and entertaining film! This movie’s fingerprints are everywhere — The French Connection, JFK, Law & Order, and countless other movies and TV shows. I had several “Woah!” moments as I recognized set pieces and stylistic flourishes, and I’m sure there is plenty that I missed