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Special Section (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Special Section' is a 1975 French film directed by Costa-Gavras and based on the novel 'L'affaire de la Section Spciale' by Herv Viller. It stars Louis Seigner, Roland Bertin, Michael Lonsdale, Ivo Garrani, Franois Maistre, Jacques Spiesser, Henri Serre, Heinz Bennent and Claude Piplu. It is named after the Special Sections of Vichy France.
The film shared the Best Director prize at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film by the U.S. National Board of Review. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe award for best foreign film.
Plot
In France during the German occupation, a young German naval officer is killed in Paris by a group of leftist activists. The compliant Vichy government seeks to appease the Germans by locating the perpetrators and agreeing to the execution of six people, and a special section is set up for this purpose. The section consists of judges who are too ambitious, cowardly or inhuman to refuse such work. The flames of totalitarianism must be stoked, even with innocent blood, and it is especially convenient to the government if the accused are thoroughly expendable in their eyes.
Cast
*Louis Seigner - Le garde des Sceaux
*Roland Bertin - Le secrtaire gnral du ministre de la Justice
*Michael Lonsdale - Le ministre de l'intrieur
*Ivo Garrani - L'amiral
*Franois Maistre - Le dlgu gnral
*Jacques Spiesser - Fredo
*Henri Serre - Le dlgu du ministre de l'intrieur en zone occupe
*Heinz Bennent - Maj. Beumelburg
*Pierre Dux - Le procureur gnral
*Jacques Franois - Le procureur de l'Etat
*Claudio Gora - Le premier prsident de la cour d'appel
*Michel Galabru - Le prsident Cournet
*Claude Piplu - Le prsident de la section spciale
*Hubert Gignoux - Le juge en 'noir'
*Jacques Ouvrier - Le conseiller
*Alain Nobis - Le premier conseiller
*Jean Bouise - Le conseiller Linais
*Nathalie Roussel
Reception
Costa-Gavras' film stirred some controversy as it told a story of Vichy France, which made some critics feel that it was a one-sided piece about collaboration. Costa-Gavras stated that he was aiming for the truth and felt that he achieved it with the film. Despite the debate, it opened to positive reviews in France and the U.S.
References
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