Not only is O thiasos arguably the greatest Greek movie of all time, it is also a movie that breathes Greece in every possible way: Greek history (the movie covers the period of 1939-1952), Greek mythology (clear parallels are drawn between the modern day events and Oresteia, a tragedy written by Aeschylus) Greek folk tradition (the main arc of the movie revolves around a theatrical troupe trying to perform a standard Greek play, Golfo The Shepherdess, full of folk songs), Greek politics (the origin of evil, every conflict is founded on political reasons and each time forces the group to stop their performance), Greek landscapes (the scenery matches the overall mood, for every glimpse of beauty, we abruptly return to the harsh reality and get reminded of all the ugliness, as poverty and war have left behind endless ruins) they all blend together in a four hour epic.
Be prepared that this is by no means an easy movie, it plays by its own rules. Apart from the fact that its gigantic conception would be better understood through some familiarity with the aspects of Greek culture I described above, the narration runs on multiple levels and is full of symbolisms. Also, it seamlessly flows through space and time, demanding the audience's full attention in order to follow the story. At the same time, the slow pace and the long shots make it hard for the viewer to get emotionally involved, the main characters remain abstract figures, all the pain and fear is portrayed in a distanced, non-sentimental way.
The movie ends where it began, a painful metaphor for the endless circle of blood and violence that the travelling players - and Greece - can't escape.
All in all, I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone no matter his taste and preferences. It's a different ball game compared to the average movie, it will open a new world that one might or might not enjoy and might or might not choose to explore futher. I don't mean to imply that this type of cinema is inherently better, but you have to give yourself the chance before deciding, it's quite the experience.
Be prepared that this is by no means an easy movie, it plays by its own rules. Apart from the fact that its gigantic conception would be better understood through some familiarity with the aspects of Greek culture I described above, the narration runs on multiple levels and is full of symbolisms. Also, it seamlessly flows through space and time, demanding the audience's full attention in order to follow the story. At the same time, the slow pace and the long shots make it hard for the viewer to get emotionally involved, the main characters remain abstract figures, all the pain and fear is portrayed in a distanced, non-sentimental way.
The movie ends where it began, a painful metaphor for the endless circle of blood and violence that the travelling players - and Greece - can't escape.
All in all, I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone no matter his taste and preferences. It's a different ball game compared to the average movie, it will open a new world that one might or might not enjoy and might or might not choose to explore futher. I don't mean to imply that this type of cinema is inherently better, but you have to give yourself the chance before deciding, it's quite the experience.