How did this happen?

Rating: Null/10 (28 January 2004)

Surely, for a film that is based on a novel to be any good, it actually has to resemble said novel in some way? This film, however, does not. Carlo's character, one of the major players in the novel, is completely and utterly shut out (under-written would be a huge understatement), while the character of Mandras is so ridiculous it made me wince. In the novel he turns into a character full of resentment and bitterness, hates Corelli, tries to rape Pelagia, is disowned by his own mother and then commits suicide. In the film, however, he is portrayed as noble - a good man who bows out of his relationship with Pelagia in order to "make her happy". He even joins forces with Corelli at one point! The films also ends too early - the novel goes on for over 20 years after the war and accounts for Corelli and Pelagia's future, and serves to reinforce the sense of loss - one of the story's main themes. The film ends in 1947, though, with the earthquake which, in the novel, kills Iannis. In the film, Pelagia simply finds him sitting by the rubble of their home, slightly flustered.
Other characters such as Velisarios and Father Arsenios, as well as less important characters like Bunny Warren, are either missing or tremendously overlooked. The sheer disregard of the novel shown by Shawn Slovo's abysmal script are an insult to de Bernieres' views and opinions that he tried to convey by telling the story in the first place. As a result, the film fails to express the meanings it should contain.
Fans of the film are likely to argue that although it fails to adhere to the original novel, it is still a good film. But to argue this is to neglect the fact that it is not a film in its own right. It is "based on the novel" and as such should stick to it for at least a minute. This film does not. If the makers of the film were trying to steer away from de Bernieres' novel, they should have made their own, different movie.
As a stand-alone film, Captain Corelli holds its own, but only due to the above average technical side of it - the cinematography, as many have said, is particularly note-worthy. But the script, together with the fact that the film was ever made, completely destroys the entire ethos of the story. Read the book first, and then, if you think you can handle it, attempt to watch this awful monstrosity of a film.