Great Movie! Romance, War, Passion, and Wonderful Scenery

Rating: 7/10 (4 October 2001)

I enjoyed this movie so much that I saw it twice. It's kind of slow in the beginning, but I never thought for a second this was a defect; on the contrary, its slowness contributes to recreate the tranquil atmosphere of the stupendous Greek island of Cephallonia as it was in the forties. The photography of the island was so beautiful that I was almost able to smell the olive oil and the leaves on the trees.
The main characters were noble, heroic, and honest. The second time I saw the movie, I appreciated even more the figure of the Greek Mandras. His very last scene with Pelagia is a perfect image of how a man can accept a hurting future with incredible dignity and honor. I really admired the guy. I liked Corelli and the soldiers of the Opera House because their jovial character reminded me of many of my friends in Italy, gathered in huge parties driving around at night and singing while waiting for the bakery to open at four in the morning in order to get a croissant. I liked the beautiful, strong, and intelligent Pelagia and her wise and loving father Iannis. I loved the entire atmosphere of the island, which reminded me of my father's small village in Southern Italy. These Mediterranean places have one exceptional thing in common: time seems to run slower over there, letting you fully appreciate the beauty and the serenity of the community and the scenery.
There is something weird about all the accents that somehow declasses the movie a little, and makes it look less sumptuous than it is. I understand that some people may feel a little puzzled by this cornucopia of Italian, Greek, German, and Spanish (Penelope Cruz) accents, even though this aspect did not bother me at all.
Anyways, the main reasons that made me like the movie were the growing appreciation of the Greeks and the Italians for each other's cultures, the ability of the characters to elevate human dignity and pure sentiments over the brutality of war, and last but not least the contrast between the Latin culture of the Greeks and the Italians on one hand and the Teutonic culture of the Germans on the other. Finally, this movie made me think a lot about the very meaning of war and about the fact that you can call somebody enemy only until you actually get to know that person. That is the moment when he or she stops being an impersonal shadow and becomes part of your world, and sometimes - like in this movie  he or she can even become `your world.'
Inspiring.