Rated R - Running Time: 2:07 - Released 8/17/01
CAPTAIN CORELLI'S MANDOLIN
Rated R - Running Time: 2:07 - Released 8/17/01
I guess it's something about the turn of the millennium that has
instigated a rash of novels and movies about World War II, arguably
the most important global event of the 20th century. Taking its
place among the greatest of such films is John Madden's war-torn
romance Captain Corelli's Mandolin, based on the book by
Louis de Bernières and adapted for the screen by award-winning
South African writer Shawn Slovo (A World Apart). History-loving
director Madden, who helmed 1997's powerful but underappreciated
Mrs. Brown and then won the
Best Director Oscar for 1998's Shakespeare
In Love, does not fail to live up to the tradition for
excellence he has established; Captain Corelli's Mandolin
is a deeply moving film sprinkled with romance and humor which
he folds expertly into the mix of violence and tragedy that was
the rule of the day in WWII-era Europe. It provides yet another
opportunity for actors Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, and
John Hurt to show off their considerable technique, and allows
us to witness the beauty of the Greek landscape through the eyes
of Oscar-winning cinematographer John Toll (Braveheart).
The action begins in an Italian-occupied Greek village in 1940,
a very small, earthquake-plagued island named Cephallonia. Although
the visiting soldiers, led by Capt. Antonio Corelli (Cage), are
more interested in wine, women, and especially song, than they
are in ruling the Greek population, local physician Dr. Iannis
(Hurt) and his beautiful daughter Pelagia (Cruz) do not welcome
the intruders. However, when Dr. Iannis realizes that housing
an Italian officer may mean better access to medical supplies,
he grudgingly invites Capt. Corelli to stay at his home. Soon
the affable captain has won the hearts of practically everyone
in town, not only with his friendly demeanor and his aversion
to violence, but by playing his cherished mandolin, which he does
with grace and eloquence. Pelagia, whose fiancé Mandras
(Christian Bale) has gone to fight with the Partisans, is the
last to fall to Corelli's charms, but fall she does, soon finding
herself in love with the enemy. The sticky situation that develops
when Mandras returns from the front is made much more difficult
when Mussolini relinquishes power to Hitler and the Germans take
over the town, forcibly disarming the incredulous Italian army.
The epic quality of this movie is surprising given its small
cast of principal characters. Featuring romantic imagery and savage
war footage that rivals any of the recent similarly-themed films,
Madden's essay is touching and at the same time brutal, brimming
with the emotional conflict that surges within its characters.
Antonio is a peaceful man forced to play by the rules of a violent
contest; his attempts to win over the reticent Pelagia, and his
frustration at her unwillingness to concede, is shown in Cage's
stormy looks and desperate overtures. Moreover, the sweetly romantic
mandolin ballads (penned by Stephen Warbeck), which Cage appears
to be actually playing live, are a stirring counterpoint to the
uncomfortable situation in which he finds himself.
Cruz is strong and yet eminently delicate as the conflicted woman engaged in her own struggle between the richly felt emotions of her heart and the equally strong feelings she has for family and country. Finally, Hurt reasserts his position as one of the great actors of our time with a touching turn as Pelagia's loving but deeply patriotic father. The production is richly layered with the colors of the emotional spectrum, brought out with finesse by this talented director and his team. *****