Costa-Gavras

Reviews / Votes

The authors of this book contribute significantly to a thorough understanding of the historical background of the entire work of Costa-Gavras. With an apt classification of films based on historical themes rather than chronology, they provide an in-depth insight into how the director highlights the effects of the past on the present and the collective memory. * Mado Spyropoulou, Associate Researcher, Paris University 3, Sorbonne Nouvelle, CERLIS, France * Long-time film history scholar John Michalczyk and his wife, film and literature professor Susan Michalczyk, both documentary filmmakers, collaborate once again to give us a much needed update of the political cinema of Costa-Gavras. Together, they do an admirable job of discussing 14 of his landmark films made over 50 years, from Z to Adults in the Room. Deeply researched, filled with anecdotes, and amply illustrated, their volume reveals the way that this pivotal director has tackled the crucial social and political issues of our times, from the terrors of fascism and Communism, to the ongoing abuses of capitalism and the crisis of migration. There is no better survey of the work of the legendary director. * Steve Kovacs, Professor Emeritus, School of Cinema, San Francisco State University, USA * Along with offering a detailed, informative history of Costa-Gavras's extraordinary political films, the Michalczyks also reveal how real-world politics, usually of oppression and corruption, affected this legendary director's humane view of social justice in modern global history. * Homer B. Pettey, Professor Emeritus, University of Arizona, USA, and author of The Films of Costa-Gavras * The Michalczyks' book provides an insightful retrospective of the director's filmography and makes a compelling case for Costa-Gravras as one of the defining filmmakers of the second half of the twentieth century. ... Ultimately, Costa-Gavras's future legacy will be well served by this invaluable volume, which offers fresh insights and perspectives on the director's body of work. * Cineaste Magazine * Costa-Gavras: Encounters with History is the best book in English on one of the world's most consequential and influential filmmakers, a compelling and informative blend of biography, historical and political contextualization, production history, and critical response to the films. It offers a renewed appreciation of the early and controversial classics as well as the lesser-known works and encourage readers to seek them out for screening or rescreening. * Gary Crowdus, Editor-in-Chief, Cineaste Magazine, USA *