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Section Spéciale (1975)

Director: Costa-Gavras

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From Time Out Film Guide

One of Costa-Gavras' glossy political melodramas, set in Occupied France and dealing with one of the Vichy government's shabbier episodes: the drafting of retroactive anti-terrorist laws which allowed the French judiciary to re-sentence a number of pathetically harmless prisoners in order to appease the Germans. At first the glossy production provides a rather effective counterpoint to the political intrigue. But issues here become clear-cut - over-simplified, even - and the visual elegance looks increasingly hollow. The script becomes bogged down in wordy repetitions on the corruption of power and the power of corruption. The final third - the show trials - is pure playing to the gallery, in much the same way as Z. By way of compensation, some of the performances - Louis Seigner, especially, as the Minister of Justice - stand against the film's tendency towards caricature.

Author: CPe 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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Cast & crew

Director: Costa-Gavras

Producer: Jacques Perrin, Giorgio Silvagni

Cast: Louis Seigner, Michel Lonsdale, Jacques Perrin, Ivo Garrani, Bruno Crémer, François Maistre, Roland Bertin, Henri Serre, Pierre Dux full cast

Duration: 118 mins


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