In search of their father, two travelling siblings embark on an adult world. Theo Angelopoulos' strength; orchestrating wide long takes while the most dramatic events are off-screen can work wonders. Paradoxically, more than a few scenes suffer from feeling too staged and Angelopoulos' serious attempt at metaphoring man's quest for God sadly obscures my affections for the characters who turn into walking matchsticks.
To look for God, despite the fact that the whole world seems to deny its existence. Faith does move mountains, but it also requires sacrifices. In the end, does it seems to be worth it? The last image, the kids hugging a tree, clinging to it in a desperate embrace after all the woes and misfortunes they got through; that's our relationship with God? Only in death we'll know. Theo, today you know. Αναπαύσου εν ειρήνη.
Ese "Theo, today you know" estimado Horatio... it's fuckin' priceless! Y también la bendición de sus películas que, creo yo, se asemejan a un tratamiento de aguas termales para una imaginación que intenta denotarse en la cotidianidad, pero con esa naturaleza mítica que, al parecer, sólo los griegos han sabido manejar. Sus películas me recuerdan tanto al agua.
There are all the other films and then there is this film. Transcendental oneness holla! However using real animal cruelty is unnecessary, sad and artistically lazy to get your point across. It's not ok.
a masterpiece. which is in pieces influenced heavily by antonioni, tarkovsky and erice. the young kids perform so well and it breaks my heart. on one point the comment on the futility dreams annoyed me, but the composition, score, photography and script all made me forget about that tiny flaw. some of the scenes are so brutal, yet they retain some beauty. but that party scene is so bad, its unbelievable.
My first Angelopoulos'.Can't wait to see more... Despite I'm in agree with last opinion,I can't give less than 5 stars
what a gem. what a gem. WHAT A GEM. a beautiful journey through life itself. Love the scores, love the landscapes. love the magnificent ending. PERFECT.
highly beautiful and moving movie with many monumental scenes and very artistic yet subtle style of directing by angelopoulos, the dying horse scene is brilliant, very rich and full of mixed emotions (reminds me a lot of bresson's style in balthazar), the magical transfixed citizens scene has left me transfixed too, and that visually striking final shot is one of the best moment ever and open to any interpretation..
This film, to me, is one of the most perfect exaplmes of life, as when your problems are of no importance to everyone around you. The best shot to illustrate this is when the children examine the dead horse, and a wedding parade comes out of the building in the background, with music playing, and poeple dancing out onto the street, while the little child starts crying in the foreground. Beautiful. Savvy
Topio stin omichli 1988 DIR Theodoros Angelopoulos SCR Theodoros Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra, Thanassis Valtinos 127 Min Are we there yet? Road trip to the border of mawkish. The film never crosses the border, but watching the children age makes the trip tiresome.
Now we see through a glass darkly. But then we shall see face to face. But we cannot see now. And we cannot hear. Father, where are you? Father, draw near. Oh father it has been such a long, long time. Father, is that you? Can you hear your children? Can you hear our cry?
Theo Angelopoulos' godly masterpiece about children learning to grieve. This is one of those films that, once seen, becomes seared into your brain and consumes you to the point where it's all you can think about in the proceeding days. If, by the film's conclusion, you're not bawling your eyes out you really have no business calling yourself a human being.
