Love blossoms in Greece betwen War and Tragedy (Captain Corelli's Mandolin (DVD))

Member Name: mickeyhunt

Product:	Captain Corelli's Mandolin (DVD)
Date:	19/08/09 (8 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An enging story about love and betrayal with good performances and stunning scenery

Disadvantages: They messed around with the ending

This is another film that I have seen after I have read the book and was at first dissapointed when it did not match up to the book. However I have seen it a few more times and have revised my view.

The book covers a much wider canvas than the film. The film focuses on the romance between Pelagia and Antonio and the events on Cephallonia. Pelagia is a young Greek girl who is being brought up by her father with the intention of her training as a doctor. She gets engaged to her childhood sweetheart Mandras, who is a typical male chauvanist. Her life is torn apart when Mandras goes off to join the Greek army and the Italians and Germans invade the island. She belives Mandras to either be dead or no longer in love with her, as he does not respond to any of the 100 letters that she writes him. In fact he cannot read, but was just too proud to tell her. Pelagia gradually falls for Captain Antonia Correlli who woos her with beautiful mandolin music and opera. The situation is made worse when the Germans turn on the Italians and Antonio has to go into hiding. Mandras returns to find that Pelagia no longer loves him. He is a different Mandras to the one that left, much harsher and uncaring. Despite their rivalry Mandras does help Antonio to escape. A friendship springs up between one of the German comanders Captain Gunther Weber and Antonio Correlli which draws the Italian troops and German troops into a kind of camaraderie. They even have music evenings in Pelagia's village. Some of the Greek girls make friends with the German troops leading to tradgedy later.

This is primarily a love story, but it is also a war story. The main focus is the love between to two main characters and how the events that go on around them affect that love. It also shows how war changes peoples ideas of what is right and wrong. Pelagia is a good Greek girl and under normal circumstances would never have betrayed Mandras, however the strains that the war puts on their relationship, eventually tearing it apart change her outlook and make her rebel against her upbringing. I think that the common theme that runs through this film is betrayal. Pelagia betrays Mandras, the Germans betray the Italians and Captain Weber betrays his friend Antonio. I think that the film is trying to show that War ultimatley damages everything, distorting peoples values.

The difference between the Italians and Germans is very marked. The Italians are not harsh ocupiers and relish music and women and wine. They integrate more with the Islanders. The Germans rule with an iron fist and do not on the whole fratanize with the Greeks. The effect of the Italians joy for life seems to rub off on the Germans for a short while till the Germans turn on them savagely.

It is a lovely haunting film which is portrayed against the beautiful backdrop of Cephallonia. The chemistry between Nicholas Cage and Penelope Cruz really works. I like Nicholas Cage in this part, he really comes across as the happy go lucky opera singing Correlli. I was a little disappointed by Christian Bale's Mandras, as I felt that he did not portray the bad side of Mandras enough, almost as if he did not want to be a bad guy. David Morrissey was brilliant as the intially likeable Weber. What can I say about John Hurt, he was fantastic as always. He always makes a part his own.

Do not try to compare this to the book, because if you do it will fall short. It would have been impossible to film the book as it is and thefore the only way was to bring the focus in and take the love story and work around that. It is a very good Saturday night film with a box of chocolates a good bottle of wine and a big box of tissues.

Summary: It is a love story and a war story so it should appeal to all