MovieChat Forums > Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001) Discussion > Why I loved the movie....

Why I loved the movie....

posted 18 years ago by SCraigNZ
5 replies | jump to latest

Picture this...

It's a gloomy, grey, north London day in winter. You go to the movies to fill in an afternoon. You go to a movie called "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" knowing nothing about it.
Suddenly you are transported to a gorgeous Greek island during WW2 with breathtaking scenery and a VERY interesting history.

This movie blew me away. I came out of it determined to visit Cephalonia (or Keffinia if you prefer) and managed to book a week there in June. I loved it so much there and met so many awesome people that I went back for 2 weeks in July and ended up staying for 6.
Then in September, as I had decided to come home to New Zealand, I went back to Cephalonia for one more week just to say goodbye to all my Greek friends.

OK - so Nicolas Cage has a bit of a dodgy accent and the chemistry between him and Ms Cruz is somewhat lacking BUT this movie DOES portray a real historical event that is marked by a beautiful monument near Lassi on the Island and it inspired me to explore a part of the world I had never even heard of before I saw the movie.

I have it on DVD now and watch it fairly regularly to enjoy the story and to also see the place I love so much. I also have the CD of the soundtrack.

For those that HATED the movie (as many on these boards seem to) - try not to take it so seriously - it did happen, and the Island is as gorgeous as it looks - enjoy!

I read the book after seeing the movie and found it VERY hard going. Maybe I am just not as bright as some people that adored the book so much.
I have to say the ending of the book is more believable than the movie, and
apparently there is a man who, like the character of Corelli, visited the Island every year for many years and who survived the massacre.

Oh - and the earthquake was as devastating as it is portrayed - there are many ruined buildings on the island from that 1953 quake and I have been told there is a tremor every few seconds on the Island - several of which I have felt - it's quite unnerving to the uninitiated!

Cheers
Susan

[–] mica227 18 years ago

I loved the song Captain corelli plays. Its beautiful

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Chief_Inspector_Clouseau 18 years ago

Well Said!! Great movie!!!

<3 Captain Hector Barbossa <3
Pirates ARE sexy!!

[–] HashRouge 18 years ago

I think that if, like me, you read the book first, you just can't get over how lacking the film was.

Gene Hunt: She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot

[–] Torian06 18 years ago

I have discovered this board just a week or so ago. I was puzzled by a lot of negative reactions to this film and found out that most of the poster's difficulty to appreciate this movie stems from the fact that they can't help comparing it with the book. Some find fault with the casting of Cage and Cruz.

After reading all those posts lambasting the film, it was really a joy to come across your thread thefaelts. It was a relief to find another one who thinks the film is a pleasurable viewing experience. Definitely a minority group here in this board. It was really awesome of you, that so inspired by the beauty of the locale and its interesting history, you would eventually find yourself actually there in the island of Cephalonia. Thank you for sharing with us your impressions and experiences n that Greek island.

Definitely not a critic here, more of a seeker (sometimes a desperate one) of things to appreciate in a film, a very subjective one, and not wont to place the characters under the analytical eye of a miscroscope. I am glad I find so many things to appreciate in this film even after only the first viewing and haven't the slightest idea about the book where it was based on at the time, which I eventually bought after watching the movie for the second time.

I am almost through with the book (brilliant one) by now, and yes, there are chapters that are extremely harrowing reading especially that one about the narrative of Carlo and his love Francisco, during that Albanian campaign. It took sometimes a day for me to pick it up again. I am glad the film didn't dwell excessively on the grimness and the agony of those wartime nightmares.

I am thankful that the film instead focused on the theme of love transcending ideological and national boundaries and how love can withstood the test of time.

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Truth has an inscrutable,inexorable way of seeking out and revealing Itself into the Light.