L'Aveu (1970)
Directed by Costa-Gavras

Film Review

Costa-Gavras followed his hugely successful film Z with L'Aveu, the second of what was to become a series of critically acclaimed political thrillers. L'Aveu was based on the novel by Arthur London which recounted his own experiences of detention by the USSR state police.  The film, like the novel, offers a shocking and vivid portrayal of the brutal methods used by the police during the Stalinist regime, and also evokes the insane paranoia which marked this period of political turmoil in Eastern Europe.

Although it is a compelling and disturbing work, L'Aveu is far less accessible than Z.  Much of the political dialogue will go way over the heads of most audiences, and the repetitive nature of the torture scenes is almost a torture to watch.  Despite this, the audience is rewarded with one of Yves Montand's best screen performances.  Montand's wife in this film is in fact played by his real-life wife, Simone Signoret.

Film Synopsis

Prague, 1951.  A.L. is the deputy foreign minister of Czechoslovakia, a man with an impeccable record.  Having fought on the side of the Brigadas Internacionales during the Spanish Civil War, and then with the French Resistance during WWII, A.L.'s devotion to communism seems to be beyond dispute.  A more faithful party member could scarcely be conceived.  And yet he is under suspicion.  Some of his colleagues avoid him and he is followed wherever he goes - as though he were a traitor.  One day in January, he is arrested, blindfolded and taken away to a makeshift prison.  A.L. has no idea who his captors are or why he has been taken prisoner.  He is denied sleep, food and water, the objective clearly being to break his will and make him confess.  But confess to what?  What are the crimes he is supposed to have committed?  As the weeks pass, tired, hungry and disoriented, A.L. finally no longer has the will to resist.  He signs the confession papers as instructed, not knowing what he is confessing to.  Instead of being released he is then subjected to a show trial with a number of his colleagues, all charged with treason.  Meanwhile, A.L.'s wife has fought a lone and futile battle to find her missing husband.  In the process, she loses her job and her children are taken out of school.  As her husband's trial gets underway she can hardly believe that he has confessed to such terrible crimes.  How could she have not know she was married to such a vile traitor...?