Special Section (1975)

Section spéciale (original title)

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PG
1h 58min
Drama, History
23 Apr 1975 (France)
Movie

7.6 (1,592)

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In occupied France during World War II a German officer is murdered. The collaborationist Vichy government decides to pin the murder on six petty criminals. Loyal judges are called in to convict them as quickly as possible.

Director:

Costa-Gavras

Writers:

Costa-Gavras, Jorge Semprún, Hervé Villeré

Stars:

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations.
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Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Still of Jacques Spiesser in Special Section (1975)

Still of Jacques François (I), Claudio Gora and Claude Piéplu in Special Section (1975)

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10 photos

Cast verified as complete

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	Louis Seigner	...	Joseph Barthélemy - le garde des Sceaux
	Roland Bertin	...	Georges Dayras, le secrétaire général du ministère de la Justice
	Michael Lonsdale	...	Pierre Pucheu, le ministre de l'Intérieur (as Michel Lonsdale)
	Ivo Garrani	...	L'amiral François Darlan, vice-président du Conseil
	François Maistre	...	Marquis Fernand de Brinon, - le délégué général de Vichy
	Jacques Spiesser	...	Pierre Georges, dit Frédo
	Henri Serre	...	Le préfet Ingrand, délégué du ministère de l'Intérieur en zone occupée
	Heinz Bennent	...	Le major Beumelburg
	Hans Richter	...	Le général Otto von Stülpnagel, le gouverneur militaire de Paris
	Pierre Dux	...	Raoul Cavarroc, le procureur général
	Jacques François	...	Maurice Gabolde, le procureur de l'État français
	Claudio Gora	...	Francis Villette, le premier président de la cour d'appel
	Michel Galabru	...	Le président Cournet
	Claude Piéplu	...	Michel Benon, le président de la Section spéciale
	Hubert Gignoux	...	Maurice Cottin, le juge en 'noir'
	Jacques Ouvrier	...	Robert Baffos, le conseiller
	Alain Nobis	...	Paul Larricq, le conseiller
	Jean Bouise	...	René Linais, le conseiller
	Jean Champion	...	L'avocat général Léon Guyenot
	Julien Bertheau	...	L'avocat général Victor Dupuich, chef du Service central du Parquet
	Julien Guiomar	...	Le substitut général Tétaud
	Maurice Teynac	...	Le substitut général Lucien Guillet
	Guy Rétoré	...	André Bréchet
	Yves Robert	...	Émile Bastard
	Jacques Rispal	...	Abraham Trzebrucki
	Eric Rouleau	...	Bernard Friedmann
	Guy Mairesse	...	Léon Redondeau
	Bruno Cremer	...	Lucien Sampaix, le journaliste ancien secrétaire général de L'Humanité
	Jacques Perrin	...	Roger Lafarge, l'avocat d'Abraham Trzebrucki
	Yvon Leenart	...	Un chanteur d'opéra
	Vincent Darconat	...	Un chanteur d'opéra
	André Simon	...	Un chanteur d'opéra
	Jacques Mars	...	Un chanteur d'opéra
	Jacques Monnet	...	L'annonceur de l'opéra
	Eva Simonet	...	Marguerite-Marie, la fille et secrétaire du garde des Sceaux
	Pierre Risch	...	Lucien Romier, un ministre d'État
	Hugh Morton	...	L'amiral William Leahy, l'ambassadeur des États-Unis
	Rick Neilan	...	L'assistant de l'ambassadeur des États-Unis
	René Eyrouk	...	José Félix de Lequerica, l'ambassadeur d'Espagne
	Michel Caccia	...	Un résistant
	Denis Le Guillou	...	Henri Gautherot, un des deux manifestants exécutés
	Jean-Gabriel Nordmann	...	Robert Gueusquin, le résistant citant Engels et accompagnant Frédo au métro
	Pierre-François Pistorio	...	Un résistant
	Patrick Raynal	...	Pierre, le résistant porte-drapeau
	Nathalie Roussel	...	Une résistante
	Gilles Tamiz	...	Samuel Tyszelman, un des deux manifestants exécutés
	Yves Wecker	...	Fernand Zalkinow, un résistant accompagnant Frédo au métro
	Claude-Emile Rosen	...	Le vieux monsieur en fauteuil roulant lors de la manifestation (as Claude-Emile Rozen)
	Eric Laborey	...	Gilbert Brustlein, le résistant qui aide Frédo au métro
	Didier Albert	...	Un résistant
	Carole Achache	...	Une résistante (as Carole Lange)
	Daniel Breton	...	L'aspirant auxiliaire de la Marine Alfons Moser
	Romain Bouteille	...	Le sergent Hans Gerecht, le tankiste allemand dans le métro
	Jean-Marie Robain	...	Le général Jean Bergeret, secrétaire d'État à l'Aviation
	Dagmar Heller	...	La secrétaire du major Beumelburg
	Willy Schultes	...	Dr. Jonathan Schmid, chef de l'état-major d'administration
	Nicole Desailly	...	La compagne du bourreau
	Henri Marteau	...	Henry du Moulin de Labarthète, le directeur du cabinet civil du maréchal Pétain
	Serge Marquand	...	André Obrecht, le premier adjoint de l'Exécuteur
	Maurice Dorléac	...	Jules-Henri Desfourneaux, l'Exécuteur en chef des arrêts criminels
	Maurice Baquet	...	Marcel Parinet, un secrétaire du Parquet général
	Bernard Zacharias
	Robert Benoît	...	M. Jacquinot, l'avocat de Léon Redondeau
	Gilbert Brandini	...	M. Yung, l'avocat de Lucien Sampaix
	Jean-François Gobbi	...	Roger Hild, l'avocat de Bernard Friedmann
	Patrick Lancelot	...	M. Girbouille, l'avocat d'André Bréchet
	Jean-Pierre Miquel	...	Alec Mellor, l'avocat d'Émile Bastard
	Louis Daquin	...	Le bâtonnier Étienne Carpentier du Barreau de Paris
	William Sabatier	...	Le fonctionnaire de la préfecture
	Rachel Salik	...	La mère de M. Lafarge
	János Gönczöl	...	Le père de M. Lafarge
	Thérèse Liotard	...	La soeur de M. Lafarge
	Fanny Delbrice	...	La compagne du président Benon
	Claude Vernier	...	Le président Baudry de la douzième Chambre du Tribunal de la Seine
	Roland Monod	...	Le commissaire René de la Brigade Spéciale N°2 procédant à l'interrogatoire de Bréchet
	Jean-Denis Robert	...	Émile Bastard jeune
	Agnès Château	...	Pauline
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Bob Castella	...	Un milicien (uncredited)
	Costa-Gavras	...	Un milicien (uncredited)
	Patrick Feigelson	...	Un avocat (uncredited)
	Jacques Mathou	...	M. Montillot, l'avocat d'Octave Lamand (uncredited)
	Yves Montand	...	Un milicien (uncredited)

Directed by

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Costa-Gavras

Written by

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Costa-Gavras	...	()

Jorge Semprún	...	()

Hervé Villeré	...	(book)

Produced by

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Costa-Gavras	...	producer (uncredited)
Gérard Crosnier	...	executive producer
Claude Heymann	...	associate producer
Jacques Perrin	...	producer
Michèle Ray-Gavras	...	producer (uncredited)
Giorgio Silvagni	...	producer

Music by

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Éric Demarsan

Cinematography by

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Andréas Winding

Editing by

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Françoise Bonnot

Editorial Department

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Isabel García de Herreros	...	assistant editor
Madeleine Guérin	...	assistant editor
Christine Pinoteau	...	apprentice editor

Set Decoration by

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Max Douy

Costume Design by

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Hélène Nourry

Makeup Department

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Maud Begon	...	makeup artist
Antoine Garabedian	...	hair stylist / head makeup artist
Simone Knapp	...	hair stylist

Production Management

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Bernard Bouix	...	production manager
Gérard Crosnier	...	production manager
Francis Peltier	...	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Marc Cémin	...	trainee assistant director
Denys Granier-Deferre	...	first assistant director
Jean-Michel Lacor	...	second assistant director

Art Department

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René Albouze	...	property master
Gabriel Béchir	...	set designer
Jean Gimello	...	props
Andre Guerin	...	assistant set decorator
Raymond Lemoigne	...	property master
Jean-Pierre Nossereau	...	property buyer

Sound Department

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Daniel Couteau	...	foley artist / sound effects
Jean Fontaine	...	boom operator
Françoise London	...	sound editor
Jacques Lévy	...	post-synchronization engineer / sound: post-synchonization
Jacques Maumont	...	sound mixer
Harald Maury	...	sound
Jean-Lionel Etcheverry	...	restoration & mastering coordinator (uncredited)

Stunts

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Rémy Julienne	...	stunts
Daniel Breton	...	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Divo Cavicchioli	...	still photographer
Pierre Chaumette	...	electrician
Egidio Gambassi	...	camera trainee
Jean Harnois	...	camera operator / first assistant camera
Alain Pillet	...	second assistant camera
André Thiéry	...	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Mimi Gayo	...	wardrobe
Irénée Martin	...	assistant wardrobe

Music Department

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Frederic Leibovitz

...

music editor

Script and Continuity Department

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Sylvette Baudrot	...	script supervisor
Marguerite Marpaux	...	script supervisor
Dominique Piat	...	script supervisor

Additional Crew

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Chantal Boillant	...	production assistant
Serge Croisy	...	groupman
Jeanne-Marie Liron	...	production secretary
Rene Llonguet	...	jewellery
Ginette Mejinsky	...	assistant stage manager
Francis Peltier	...	stage manager
Eva Simonet	...	press attache
Henri Stern	...	furrier
Louis Trinquier	...	administrator

Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Reggane Films
Les Productions Artistes Associés
Goriz Films (co-production)
Janus Film und Fernsehen (co-production)
K.G. Productions

Distributors

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United Artists (1975) (France) (theatrical) (as Les Artistes Associés)
Cineriz (1975) (Italy) (theatrical)
Roadshow Films (1975) (Australia) (theatrical)
Universal Pictures (1975) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
Minerva Film AB (1976) (Sweden) (theatrical)
CFM Filmverhuur (1976) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (for City Film)
City Film (1976) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (through CFM Filmverhuur)
Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1976) (Norway) (theatrical)
Curzon Film Distributors (1977) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (subtitled)
V.O. Films S.A. (1977) (Spain) (theatrical)
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1979) (United States) (tv) (subtitled)
Mundial Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
Rompeolas Film and Video (1984) (Spain) (VHS) (BETA) (Video 2000)
Antenne 2 (A2) (1989) (France) (tv)
Vértice 360 (2010) (Spain) (DVD)
La Casa del Cine para Todos (2015) (Spain) (DVD)
Topanga Canyon Films (2018) (Spain)
France 5 (2022) (France) (tv)
Gold Video (2022) (United States) (video)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Eurocitel (titles)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords	injustice nazi-collaborator nazi judge corruption See All (30) »
Taglines	A Court of Reason or a Court of Treason! See more »
Genres	Drama History Thriller War
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Finland:K-16 France:Tous publics Italy:T Netherlands:14 Norway:16 Spain:18 Sweden:15 United States:PG

Additional Details

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Also Known As	L'affare della sezione speciale (Italy) Sondertribunal - Jeder kämpft für sich allein (West Germany) Special Section (World-wide, English title) Special Section (United States) Special Section (Canada, English title) See more »
Runtime	118 min
Country	France Italy West Germany
Language	French English German
Color	Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio	1.66 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono

Did You Know?

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Trivia	Based on a true story. See more »
Goofs	When two of the judges have lunch on a restaurant patio, two members of the French Milice, wearing the gamma insignia, are sitting at a table behind. The action is set in summer 1941 but the Milice, subordinated to the French government in Vichy was created in January 1943. See more »
Movie Connections	Referenced in The Tough Ones (1976). See more »

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