État de siège (1972)

Director:

Costa-Gavras

Writers:

Franco Solinas (written by)
Costa-Gavras (original scenario) ...

Release Date:

30 December 1972 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

In Uruguay in the early 1970s, an official of the US Agency for International Development (a group used...

Plot Keywords:

Torture | Valparaíso Chile | Santiago De Chile | Political | Cock And Ball Torture

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Yves Montand	...	Philip Michael Santore
Renato Salvatori	...	Captain Lopez
O.E. Hasse	...	Carlos Ducas
Jacques Weber	...	Hugo
Jean-Luc Bideau	...	Este
Maurice Teynac	...	Minister of Internal Security
Yvette Etiévant	...	Woman Senator
Evangeline Peterson	...	Mrs. Santore
Harald Wolff	...	Minister of Foreign Affairs
Nemesio Antúnez	...	President of the Republic
Mario Montilles	...	Assistant Commissioner Fontant
André Falcon	...	Deputy Fabbri
Jerry Brouer	...	Anthony Lee
Roberto Navarrete	...	Commissioner Romero
Douglas Harris	...	A.I.D. Director

Also Known As:

Der unsichtbare Aufstand (West Germany)
L'amerikano (Italy)
State of Siege

Runtime:

Germany:115 min | USA:120 min

Country:

France | West Germany | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | South Korea:18 (1993) | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Playa Ancha, Chile

Company:

Cinema X

Trivia:

This was going to be the first movie shown in the new John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. It was cancelled because the plot of the movie was judged to be inappropriate. This caused a big controversy. A Washington D.C. television station took advantage of the controversy by acquiring the broadcast rights to the film and showing it uncut after running a big advertising campaign calling it the "film banned from the Kennedy Center."

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Dancer Upstairs (2002)

A Testimony of the History of Latin America in the 70's

In the early 70's, in Uruguay, the revolutionary group Tupamaro kidnaps an American trainer of torture and the Brazilian consul, and through the interrogation of the abducted American, the big picture of Uruguay (and other Latin America countries) is reported.

"État de Siege" is a testimony of the history of Latin America in the 70's, during my childhood and adolescence. All the democratic governments elected by people were discharged through coup d'état by military dictatorships supported by the American government, the police and military forces trained in tortures by American advisors, student and union leaderships destroyed and revolutionary groups unsuccessfully fighting against the dictatorial regime. The fantastic director Costa Gravas exposes this serious wound in Latin America and this denunciation shall never be forgotten by the next generations. This movie remains amazingly real and important, sometimes recalling a documentary. Only this month this film was released on DVD in Brazil, and it is a worthwhile investment. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): 'Estado de Sítio" ("State of Siege")