The Confession (1970 film)

The Confession
Directed by	Costa-Gavras
Produced by	Robert Dorfmann Bertrand Javal
Written by	Jorge Semprún Artur London (the book L'aveu)
Starring	Yves Montand Simone Signoret Gabriele Ferzetti
Cinematography	Raoul Coutard
Edited by	Françoise Bonnot
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	29 April 1970 (1970-04-29)
Running time	139 min
Language	French

The Confession (French: L'aveu) is a 1970 French-Italian film directed by Costa-Gavras and stars Yves Montand and Simone Signoret.

It is based on the true story of the Czechoslovak communist Artur London, a defendant in the Slánský trial. Gavras did not intend the film as an anti-communist film but a plea against totalitarianism and particularly Stalinism.

Plot

The film is about Artur Ludvik, alias Gerard, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechoslovakia. He realizes he is being watched and followed. One day, he is arrested and put into jail by an organisation that declares itself "above the ruling party" and put in solitary confinement for months without being told the reason why. Through brainwashing techniques, including sleep deprivation and being forced to walk back and forth all the time, he is slowly pressured into confessing imaginary crimes, including treason, and to repeat this confession in a public court. Years later, he meets his now demoted tormentor, who tries to downplay his role at that time.

Yves Montand lost more than 15 kilos to play his role. Montand had been shaken by the 1956 events in Hungary and later said of the film: "There was in what I inflicted upon myself [for this role] something of an act of expiation."

Cast

• Yves Montand – Artur London
• Simone Signoret – Lise London
• Michel Vitold – Smola
• Gabriele Ferzetti – Kohoutek
• Jean Bouise
• Marcel Cuvelier
• Gérard Darrieu
• Gilles Segal
• Henri Marteau
• Jean Lescot
• Michel Beaune
• Jacques Rispal
• Michel Robin
• Georges Aubert
• Marc Bonseignour
• Thierry Bosc
• André Cellier
• Monique Chaumette
• Jean-Paul Cisife
• Pierre Decazes
• Pierre Delaval
• Basile Diamantopoulos
• Jacques Emin
• Marc Eyraud
• Jean-François Gobbi
• Maurice Jacquemont
• William Jacques
• Jean-Pierre Janic
• Patrick Lancelot
• Guy Mairesse
• François Marthouret
• Pierre Moncorbier
• Charles Moulin
• Umberto Raho
• Paul Savatier
• Laszlo Szabo
• Claude Vernier
• Nicole Vervil
• Pierre Vielhescaze
• Antoine Vitez
• Jacques Marbeuf

Awards

The film was nominated for the Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards as Best Foreign Language Film.

External links

• The Confession at IMDb