Weak Spot (1975) Part paranoid thriller, part curious buddy movie

Radiance once again does admirable work this week, salvaging yet another classic piece of 70s European cinema from unfair obscurity. The Blu-ray release in question is Weak Spot, a 1975 co-production between France, Italy, and Germany, shot in Greece by director Peter Fleischmann. The film is based on a 1965 novel by celebrated Greek author Antonis Samarakis entitled The Flaw. Part thriller, part political satire, Samarakis used his novel to predict the approaching authoritarianism in his native Greece, which came to pass in 1967 when a right-wing military coup seized power from the caretaker government ahead of an election widely expected to be won by Georgios Papandreou’s Centre Union party.

This dictatorial junta, known as the Regime of the Colonels, lasted from 1967 until 1973—a six-year period during which human rights were repeatedly violated and thousands were detained in torture centres run by the Greek Military Police (the ESA). Among the ESA’s barbaric practices were sleep and food deprivation, physical assault (including beating the soles of detainees’ feet), prolonged standing in empty rooms, sexual torture, choking, ripping out body hair, and the repetition of popular songs or loud noises. The military regime’s complete suppression of press freedom meant such atrocities could not be reported or investigated by any reputable journalistic authority. It was only as the regime began to crumble that the spotlight turned to Greece, and as the dust settled on this dark period, Peter Fleischmann began shooting his adaptation of Samarakis’ novel.

Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi stars as Georgis (the only named character in the film), a middle-aged tourist manager who enjoys a carefree and seemingly apolitical life – if the frolicking opening sequence with his girlfriend (Italian actor Adriana Asti) is any indication. However, all of this changes one Saturday afternoon when a stranger treads on Georgis’ foot in a bar. The brief spat that ensues between the two men attracts the attention of the nearby military secret police, leading to Georgis’ arrest. Bewildered, he is taken downtown, where the Chief of Police (Greek actor Dimos Starenios) accuses him of conspiring with the stranger – now labeled an accomplice – in an unspecified crime against the state.

The next day, “The Investigator” (Michel Piccoli, the celebrated French actor who also served as a producer on the film) and his loutish partner, “The Manager” (Italian actor Mario Adorf), are tasked with escorting Georgis to the seaside, where he will be transported across the sea to “Central” (presumably Athens) for further interrogation. However, a series of mishaps repeatedly delays their progress, keeping them at the coastal resort. As disorientation and fear begin to take hold, Georgis suspects these delays are no accident. Is he a guinea pig in a new form of torture designed to probe his flaws and weaknesses? More troublingly, is he the only test subject in this experiment? Even The Investigator starts to question the events unfolding around them.

To delve further into Weak Spot’s plot would risk spoiling the film. Suffice it to say that, following its absurdist opening – which might lead one to expect a straightforward political satire – Fleischmann’s film takes an unexpected turn halfway through. It moves into more ambiguous, sober territory to explore themes of totalitarianism, human manipulation, masculinity, and social isolation. Part paranoid thriller, part curious buddy movie, the film recalls Stephen Frears’ The Hit (1984), which follows Terence Stamp’s gangland informant as he is escorted across Spain by seasoned hitman John Hurt and his volatile junior partner Tim Roth.

The dynamics in The Hit are anticipated here, as The Investigator finds himself drawn to Georgis. A natural loner, The Investigator is impressed by Georgis’ ability to communicate and flirt freely with two young girls at the beach (Eva Krini and Nina Andoulinaki). He is also surprised by Georgis’ refusal to bargain with his escorts or attempt escape, as most prisoners would. Georgis’ calm acceptance of his situation – and his apparent faith that his innocence will be proven – creates a curious bond between him and The Investigator, albeit an uneasy one. This bond deepens as both begin to suspect they are being manipulated by unseen forces. While their circumstances push them further at odds on paper, the shared suspicion of external control links them unmistakably, leading to a driven, tense, and philosophical final act.

With its international co-production status and the decision to have the cast speak French in a Greek setting, Weak Spot creates a kind of alternate, “neverwhere” reality that preserves its relevance today. Making the film explicitly about the Greek junta would have anchored it in a specific time and place, but its more abstract approach allows it to resonate universally. The unfortunate truth is that many regions of the world are increasingly flirting with the allure of totalitarianism. As a society, we find ourselves on a precipice, with our hard-won freedoms slowly, sometimes willingly, eroded. Truth and justice are easily manipulated by those in power. Weak Spot stands as a warning from history, something both Samarakis and Fleischmann surely intended.

Extras in this release include a new audio commentary on the film by Travis Woods, a discussion with Lovely Jon on Ennio Morricone’s score, and an archival TV interview with Michel Piccoli about his dual role as actor and producer – so unutterably French and 70s, as he casually puffs on a cigarette in the studio. Also included is a booklet featuring new writing on the film by Kat Ellinger.

Mark’s Archive – Weak Spot