Movie No. 118 (2013): THE CONFESSION (a.k.a. L'Aveu)
The Confession (a.k.a. L'Aveu) (1970)
Director: Costa Gavras
Cast: Yves Montand, Simone Signoret
The main character in this movie is Arthur London, a Czechoslovakian communist who helped enable the power structure that later, as shown in the first few minutes of the movie, will imprison him and make him confess about things he didn't commit (e.g., subversion, espionage, treason). He's not the only one that's been drugged and tortured with sleep deprivation to condition him to confess, and then rehearsed on what or how to answer to questions during the public trial. He's one of the few who's spared from death penalty. Some years after he's release he's shown to have stumbled upon one of his torturers by chance; the latter, in apologetic manner, approaches him and say, "What happened to us? Do you understand any of it?" London stares at him blankly and walks away without saying anything.
Director: Costa Gavras
Cast: Yves Montand, Simone Signoret
The main character in this movie is Arthur London, a Czechoslovakian communist who helped enable the power structure that later, as shown in the first few minutes of the movie, will imprison him and make him confess about things he didn't commit (e.g., subversion, espionage, treason). He's not the only one that's been drugged and tortured with sleep deprivation to condition him to confess, and then rehearsed on what or how to answer to questions during the public trial. He's one of the few who's spared from death penalty. Some years after he's release he's shown to have stumbled upon one of his torturers by chance; the latter, in apologetic manner, approaches him and say, "What happened to us? Do you understand any of it?" London stares at him blankly and walks away without saying anything.
One thing that still lingers in me is the repetitive chorus of torture/interrogation of London. At some point I got annoyed by this presentation. But I found out later that it must have been deliberately done that way. The director could be making a point and it took too long for me to realize it - maybe as long as London finally gave up and gave in to what his torturers wanted him to do and say. The movie is bleak and it's trying to say something.
Rating: 3.5/4.0
Date seen: May 21, 2013
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