Shangri-La Mall had a free screening of Mediterraneo courtesy of Philippine Italian Association and Film Development Council of the Philippines last April 24, 2012. I actually didn’t know about it but a friend called me up and said that it looked good and we must watch it.
Good thing we did because Mediterraneo was a totally different movie experience for me! Mediterraneo is considered to be one of the greatest film in Italy. Mediterraneo won Best Foreign-Language film at the 1991 Academy Awards. It was directed by Gabriele Salvatores and screenplay by Enzo Monteleone.
The film is set during World War II and revolves around a crew of eight misfit Italian soldiers who were stranded on a Greek island and were left behind by the war.
The tiny Greek island was called, Kastellorizo. They found themselves less interested in fulfilling their patriotic duty (spot enemy ships and to hold the island in case of attack) and more interested in discovering the joys of life. With their boat destroyed and their two-way radio broken, they gradually made contact with the locals.
They learned to adapt in their new lives. The lieutenant discovered his talent for painting and restores the church, while some become fishermen and goat herders. An Italian solder, on the other hand, fell in love with the island prostitute and marries her. They have all forgotten about their identity and became part of the island community.
As the war ends, the island’s male population return to Kastellorizo and to their wives. The Italian soldiers reluctantly left the island but one of them stayed, after having married. After several years, they reunited at that same island.
The movie really grew on me! In fact, when I try to remember the movie, I tend to appreciate it more and more. I liked the positive spin of Mediterraneo. Imagine the irony as Mediterraneo was on a war setting but love, passion, compassion and friendship defined the whole movie! I’m just glad I was able to watch it. It’s definitely a classic and a well-moved movie!
Oh BTW, the film was sweetly dedicated to ‘all who wish to run away’.
My Rating for Mediterraneo: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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