Special Section

Special Section

1975 · 110 min · ★ 7.1 · Drama, History, Thriller

In Nazi-occupied France, a German officer is assassinated. The Germans demand justice, and the Vichy government is quick to capitulate. Unable to apprehend the actual culprits, Minister of Justice Joseph Barthélémy decides the execution of token Frenchmen will suffice, but the problem is finding judges and jurors eager to participate in a sham trial of innocent men. The solution is a Special Section, a court comprised of individuals handpicked for this exact purpose.

Directed by Costa-Gavras · Written by Jorge Semprún

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

FilminAcontra Plus

Rent or Buy

Acontra Plus

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 53m together

Special Section

Mr. Klein

Both from Costa-Gavras.

More from Costa-GavrasSee all →

ZZ · 1969
Z
7.81969
MovieThrillerCrime
A prominent politician is murdered during a demonstration. The government and army are trying to suppress the truth, but a tenacious magistrate is determined not to let them get away with it.
A Monkey in WinterA Monkey in Winter · 1962
A Monkey in Winter
7.51962
MovieDramaComedy
During World War II, an innkeeper vows to abstain from alcohol for the sake of his family. Years later, as they thrive in Normandy, his resolve is tested by a charming advertising professional who loves to drink.
No Other ChoiceNo Other Choice · 2025
No Other Choice
7.52025
MovieComedyCrime
After being laid off and humiliated by a ruthless job market, a veteran paper mill manager descends into violence in a desperate bid to reclaim his dignity.
Konbini Vidéo ClubKonbini Vidéo Club · 2018
Konbini Vidéo Club
7.52018
Series
The ConfessionThe Confession · 1970
The Confession
7.41970
MovieDramaThriller
In 1950s communist Czechoslovakia, a government minister, a war veteran long a loyal party man, leads a relatively comfortable life with his wife. However, he soon finds himself under surveillance, then under arrest. Unclear what his offense is, agents for the totalitarian regime interrogate and torture him, aiming to use their unending power to gain a false confession for these supposed crimes against the state.
Mr. KleinMr. Klein · 1976
Mr. Klein
7.21976
MovieMysteryDrama
Paris, France, 1942, during the Nazi occupation. Robert Klein, a successful art dealer who benefits from the misfortunes of those who are ruthlessly persecuted, discovers by chance that there is another Robert Klein, apparently a Jewish man; someone with whom he could be mistakenly identified, something dangerous in such harsh times.
MissingMissing · 1982
Missing
7.21982
MovieDramaMystery
Based on the real-life experiences of Ed Horman. A conservative American businessman travels to Chile to investigate the sudden disappearance of his son after a military takeover. Accompanied by his son's wife he uncovers a trail of cover-ups that implicate the US State department which supports the dictatorship.
State of SiegeState of Siege · 1972
State of Siege
7.21972
MovieThrillerDrama
Assigned to South America, US official Philip Michael Santore is employed by a counterinsurgency agency. His position makes him a target for a local band of guerrillas, and, before long, Santore is kidnapped. As a prisoner, he undergoes interrogation, shedding light on the violent situation in the country. Once the insurgents are done with their questioning, they must decide whether Santore lives or dies.
Music BoxMusic Box · 1989
Music Box
7.11989
MovieDramaThriller
A lawyer defends her father accused of war crimes, but there is more to the case than she suspects.
Carolco, un rêve hollywoodienCarolco, un rêve hollywoodien · 2026
Carolco, un rêve hollywoodien
7.02026
MovieDocumentary
Amen.Amen. · 2002
Amen.
7.02002
MovieDramaHistory
Kurt Gerstein—a member of the Institute for Hygiene of the Waffen-SS—is appalled to discover that a poison gas he helped discover is being used to kill Jews. Driven by his conscience to alert the rest of the world, Gerstein teams up with a young Jesuit priest, Riccardo Fontana, but their protestations fall on deaf ears in the Vatican.
The AxThe Ax · 2005
The Ax
6.92005
MovieComedyCrime
Bruno loved his job as a middle manager at a paper company, but optimistically views being laid off as an opportunity. After two years of searching for a comparable position, optimism turns to desperation. His wife works two jobs, and their marriage slowly deteriorates as their hold on the middle class slips away. Bruno concocts a grimly audacious plan to identify and kill his fellow job applicants so that he is the only qualified person left.
Madame RosaMadame Rosa · 1977
Madame Rosa
6.71977
MovieDramaComedy
Madame Rosa lives in a sixth-floor walkup in the Pigalle; she's a retired prostitute, Jewish and an Auschwitz survivor, a foster mom to children of other prostitutes. Momo is the oldest and her favorite, an Algerian lad whom she raises as a Muslim. He asks about his parents; she answers evasively. As she ages and takes fewer children, Momo must do more for her; as money is tight, he tries to earn pennies on the street with a puppet. He's a beautiful man-child, and Madame Rosa makes him promise never to sell himself or become a pimp. A film editor, Nadine, befriends him, and his father appears as well. Madame Rosa reaches her last days in fear of hospitals, and Momo must act.
Adults in the RoomAdults in the Room · 2019
Adults in the Room
6.52019
MovieDrama
A universal theme: a story of people trapped in an inhuman network of power. The brutal circle of the Eurogroup meetings, who impose on Greece the dictatorship of austerity, where humanity and compassion are utterly disregarded. A claustrophobic trap with no way out, exerting pressures on the protagonists which finally divide them.
Joy HouseJoy House · 1964
Joy House
6.41964
MovieThrillerCrime
A small-time con man on the run from his girlfriend's gangster husband hides out in a strange, brooding mansion run by two mysterious women, where he finds himself trapped in deception between the two.
Lumière & CompanyLumière & Company · 1995
Lumière & Company
6.31995
MovieDramaDocumentary
40 international directors were asked to make a short film using the original Cinematographe invented by the Lumière Brothers, working under conditions similar to those of 1895. There were three rules: (1) The film could be no longer than 52 seconds, (2) no synchronized sound was permitted, and (3) no more than three takes.

More Like This

The Omega ManThe Omega Man · 1971
The Omega Man
6.21971
MovieScience FictionAction
Due to an experimental vaccine, Dr. Robert Neville is the only human survivor of an apocalyptic war waged with biological weapons. Besides him, only a few hundred deformed, nocturnal people remain; sensitive to light, and homicidally psychotic.
The Secret GardenThe Secret Garden · 1993
The Secret Garden
7.41993
MovieDramaFamily
A young British girl born and reared in India loses her neglectful parents in an earthquake. She is returned to England to live at her uncle's castle. Her uncle is very distant due to the loss of his wife ten years before. Neglected once again, she begins exploring the estate and discovers a garden that has been locked and forgotten. Aided by one of the servants' boys, she begins restoring the garden, and eventually discovers some other secrets of the manor.
Hellraiser: HellseekerHellraiser: Hellseeker · 2002
Hellraiser: Hellseeker
5.02002
MovieHorrorThriller
After a car crash, a shady stockbroker suffers from amnesia. This leaves him in a hazy limbo of sex and murder. But, as in a predestined journey, he takes the bait and follows the marked-out clues all the way to Pinhead.
Handling the UndeadHandling the Undead · 2024
Handling the Undead
5.82024
MovieHorrorDrama
On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos when their deceased loved ones come back to them. Who are they, and what do they want?
Runaway JuryRunaway Jury · 2003
Runaway Jury
6.92003
MovieDramaThriller
After a workplace shooting in New Orleans, a trial against the gun manufacturer pits lawyer Wendell Rohr against shady jury consultant Rankin Fitch, who uses illegal means to stack the jury with people sympathetic to the defense. But when juror Nicholas Easter and his girlfriend Marlee reveal their ability to sway the jury into delivering any verdict they want, a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game begins.
The Dead ZoneThe Dead Zone · 1983
The Dead Zone
7.01983
MovieThrillerHorror
Johnny Smith is a schoolteacher with his whole life ahead of him but, after leaving his fiancee's home one night, is involved in a car crash which leaves him in a coma for 5 years. When he wakes, he discovers he has an ability to see into the past, present and future life of anyone with whom he comes into physical contact.
The Count of Monte CristoThe Count of Monte Cristo · 2002
The Count of Monte Cristo
7.72002
MovieAdventureDrama
Young sailor Edmond Dantès is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes, finds treasure, and reinvents himself as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo to exact revenge on those who betrayed him.
The Eagle Has LandedThe Eagle Has Landed · 1976
The Eagle Has Landed
6.71976
MovieAdventureDrama
When the Nazi high command learns in late 1943 that Winston Churchill will be spending time at a country estate in Norfolk, it hatches an audacious scheme to kidnap the prime minister and spirit him to Germany for enforced negotiations with Hitler.
MidwayMidway · 1976
Midway
6.61976
MovieActionDrama
This war drama depicts the U.S. and Japanese forces in the naval Battle of Midway, which became a turning point for Americans during World War II.
From Here to EternityFrom Here to Eternity · 1953
From Here to Eternity
7.31953
MovieWarRomance
In 1941 Hawaii, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his captain's wife and second in command are falling in love.
SleepwalkersSleepwalkers · 1992
Sleepwalkers
6.11992
MovieHorrorFantasy
Charles Brady and his mother, Mary, are the last of a dying breed whose needs are not of this world. They are Sleepwalkers - able to stay alive only by feeding on the life-force of the innocent, but destined to roam the earth, avoiding discovery while searching for their next victim. That search takes them to the sleepy little town of Travis, Indiana, where beautiful teenager Tanya Robertson is about to become an unwilling pawn in their nightmarish fight for survival.
The Ghost WriterThe Ghost Writer · 2010
The Ghost Writer
6.82010
MovieThrillerMystery
A writer stumbles upon a long-hidden secret when he agrees to help former British Prime Minister Adam Lang complete his memoirs on a remote island after the politician's assistant drowns in a mysterious accident.
Dead PresidentsDead Presidents · 1995
Dead Presidents
6.71995
MovieCrimeDrama
On the streets they call cash dead presidents. And that's just what a Vietnam veteran is after when he returns home from the war only to find himself drawn into a life of crime. With the aid of his fellow vets he plans the ultimate heist -- a daring robbery of an armored car filled with unmarked U.S. currency!
ManhunterManhunter · 1986
Manhunter
7.01986
MovieCrimeHorror
FBI Agent Will Graham, retired after catching notorious cannibal Hannibal Lecter, returns to duty to engage in a risky cat-and-mouse game with Lecter to capture a new killer.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter