State of Siege

I retract what I said in my previous reviews about Costa-Gavras never giving real agency to leftists. Here at last we have the revolutionaries fully in control of the events on both sides. Incisive commentary on how we all like to pretend "politics" is something that can be switched off, and how revolutions that do everything right can still fail. Lots of memorable visual constructions (police vs. Che Guevara on the loudspeaker) despite the heavy reliance on dialogue.

Another very realistic political thriller by Gavras. He is one the best who can make such film very well. This movie is close to great but not at the same caliber with Z. Have some little flaws and little bit overlong I think. Loved the university scene anyway.

Not quite as good as Z but it is an incredible film from Costa-Gravas, who can make intensely political films be incredibly suspenseful and fun.

Didn’t hit quite as hard as the previous two but I think that’s on me. I’m not terribly familiar with South American politics so the obliqueness and ambiguity kinda left me in the dust. I kept waiting for a reveal but the story is ultimately simpler than it seems. Still a great movie, don’t get me wrong

Lets all vote on if its okay to kill the tyrant.

vay ülkelerin halleri... ne kadar da benzeşiyoruz...

Hit on the head of this particular situation but I think it could had been more explicit on how this same tactic was being employ by USA in all latin-american countries.

'70s thriller via the left that cuts straight to the heart of what imperialism means. Awesome. Jarring dubbing in French, though, and a bigger budget to work with would have really been something to see.

Political point. On the point.

Woah!! The editing of this movie is so top notch. The direction, the writing and the acting are equally brilliant. Sinister. Left vs Right struggle. Slightly left patronizing but maybe this was done to titillate the viewer to get across the message of the questionable practices of a particular country in conducting it's business. The opening scene could have been a minute shorter, the parliament debate more intense and the screen time associated with right leadership more decisive.

If one's a bit versed in the history of South American politics, this will mostly be of interest for its droll construction. It takes a certain kind of satirist to have a cut to a funeral be a punchline. Bonus message: Nothing ever changes.

An indictment of American interference in South American internal affairs. Non-stop quick cuts and a parade of characters gives it a detached, methodological quality somewhat similar to Z, but the political drama isn't quite as gripping. Very early on you realize the guerrillas are damned if they do, damned if they don't, which creates a pervading sense of hopelessness. The interrogation scenes between the guerrillas and the US official are probably the best parts.

As a film, it's built in the Costa-Gavras style of Z, but this time he tends to romanticize some elements. Borrowing some words from the AMG Movie guide: "Despite its up-to-date radicalism, State of Siege adheres to time-honored Hollywood formula, with ugly, vulgar bad guys vs. handsome, articulate good guys."

Costa-Gavras' talent is apparent, and it's pretty gripping throughout, but it just doesn't work as well as it should. Generally speaking an above average film, but by Costa-Gavras standards it's a miss.