The Confession

The French view of the political monster trial of Rudolf Slánský in communist Czechoslovakia in the 1950s. A praiseworthy feat that is worth watching, but you won’t find it on commercial TV. (20/04/2003)

Most films made in the West about countries behind the Iron Curtain suffer (at least for us Czechs) from naivety and fail in several sensitive details. Although The Confession could not have been filmed in Czechoslovakia due to the escalating situation after the occupation and the production took place in a French environment, it is not apparent in the result considering the advisors and Gavras' well-known meticulousness. Costa-Gavras is known for his engaged work and in the topic of political processes, he was interested in both the possibility of confronting the bitter reality of "people's democracies" with the still lingering naive idea of the radical intellectual left about life in "socialist countries," as well as the psychology of the accused exposed to extreme psychological pressure and torture. The success of the film was greatly influenced by Gavras' direction and the involvement of Yves Montand and Simone Signoret in the main roles. If the film has any weakness, it stems from the fact that it is based on London's book, which is naturally very personal and may not always be objective. Nonetheless, it is one of the strongest films about the crimes of communism, which had a great influence on the revelation of the essence of the communist system worldwide. Overall impression: 90%. (23/02/2013)