The film is a memorial too

Rating: 7/10 (30 May 2008)

I have recently returned from a Holiday to Beautiful kefalonio and I have been there three times now. So on my return I decided to watch again the film version.I feel now that despite the bad miscasting the Director did his best with probably a limited budget and very little running time to go on. If the film had been any longer then maybe it would have been so much better characters more fleshed out or as the case maybe not dropped completely.Carlos the captains right hand man is in fact in love with Correlli.At only one point in the movie is this hinted at. Not so in the book, which makes more of Carlos's adoration and of course his final sacrifice when he saves the captains life by falling on him while being shot.
While on the island on my last trip, I took a long walk towards Argostoli and came a across what looked like the remains of a cavern or quarry protected by a fence. Surrounding it either side was a stony wall.The farmer nearby mowing his field had left the gate unlocked and I walked in and stood at the edge looking down at a plaque on a wall with a bunch of flowers arranged by it. It was here on this spot that I realised 136 men of the Italian Acqui division were shot dead by the Nazis. The Greeks with respect, buried the Italians bodies at the same spot. I felt terrible knowing the view point I had was one that would have been seen by a German soldier as he looked down on these poor men as they were executed.
So many tourists pass this peaceful little place without any idea of its tragic past.The film only portrays one of these terrible executions, but they took place all over the island of Kefalonio. The film and book reminds us that this terrible event should never be forgotten.