Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow
| Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Theo Angelopoulos |
| Written by | Theo Angelopoulos |
| Screenplay by | Theo Angelopoulos Tonino Guerra Petros Markaris Giorgio Silvagni |
| Produced by | Nikos Sekeris[1] |
| Starring | Alexandra Aidini Thalia Argyriou Giorgos Armenis |
| Cinematography | Andreas Sinanos[2] |
| Edited by | Yorgos Triantafyllou[1] |
| Music by | Eleni Karaindrou[3] |
| Distributed by | Celluloid Dreams[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 169 minutes[4][5] |
| Language | Greek[4] |
| Box office | $25 thousand[6][7] |
Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow (Greek: Τριλογία: Το λιβάδι που δακρύζει) is an award-winning[8] 2004 Greek romantic historical drama film, written[4] and directed by Theo Angelopoulos.[5][9] It stars Alexandra Aidini, Thalia Argyriou, Giorgos Armenis, Vasilis Kolovos and Nikos Poursanidis,[4] and was released during the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival, on 11 February 2004.[1] It is the first film of a projected trilogy about recent events in Greek history.[8] The Dust of Time (2008) is the second film of the trilogy.[8] In January 2012, Angelopoulos died unexpectedly, leaving the trilogy uncompleted.[8]
Plot
The film revives themes of Angelopoulos' 1975 film The Travelling Players,[10] and its events span from 1919 to the aftermath of World War II.[11] It tells the story of Greek history through the sufferings of one family.[3] A band of refugees that returns to Greece after the Russian Revolution adopts an orphaned girl, Eleni (Alexandra Aidini).[4] Eleni becomes the focus of the story.[3] The film follows her through adolescence and the marriage to her musician half-brother Alexis (Nikos Poursanidis).[4] Eleni becomes pregnant by Alexis,[3] and bears twin boys, who are sent away at birth.[3] Many years later she is forced to marry her widowed adopted father. On her wedding day, Eleni escapes with Alexis to Thessaloniki, where they reunite with their sons.[3] Their lives are then ripped apart by World War II and the ensuing Greek Civil War.[4]
Cast
- Alexandra Aidini as Eleni[10]
- Thalia Argyriou as Danae[1]
- Giorgos Armenis as Nikos the Fiddler[3]
- Vasilis Kolovos as Spyros[10]
- Nikos Poursanidis as Alexis[10]
- Eva Kotamanidou as Cassandra[3]
- Toula Stathopoulou as Woman in Coffee House[3]
Reception
Critical reception
Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow received generally favorable reviews from critics. At Metacritic it holds a 73/100 score based on 12 reviews.[12] At Rotten Tomatoes it has a 65% score based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10.[13] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film two out of five stars, and commented: "The movie is fiercely austere; no human emotion leaks out and the characters are as blank as chess-pieces."[10] Dana Stevens of The New York Times: "The Weeping Meadow is a beautiful and devastating meditation on war, history and loss."[3] Derek Elley of Variety: "The movie plays like a career summation in which the 68-year-old writer-director has simply run out new ideas."[1]
Awards and nominations
- Awards
- FIPRESCI Award at the European Film Awards 2004[8]
- "Spiritual Competition" Jury Award at the Fajr International Film Festival 2005[citation needed]
- Nominations
- Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival 2004[14]
- European Film Awards 2004[15]
- "People's Choice Award"
- "Best Director" (Theodoros Angelopoulos)
- "Best Cinematographer" (Andreas Sinanos)
- "Best Composer" (Eleni Karaindrou)
References
- ^ a b c d e f Elley, Derek (12 February 2004). "Review: 'Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow'". Variety. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ Morris, Wesley (15 October 2005). "Lyrical saga unfolds in 'Meadow'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stevens, Dana (14 September 2005). "Drawing on Greek Myths to Illustrate a Generation of Tragedy". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dawson, Thomas (14 January 2005). "Movies - review - Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow (To Livadi Pou Dakryzei)". BBC Online. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ a b Robey, Tim (21 January 2005). "Old-fashioned tale of love and blood". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ "The Weeping Meadow (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ "Trilogia I: To Livadi pou dakryzei". The Numbers. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Theo Angelopoulos". The Daily Telegraph. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ Atkinson, Michael (6 September 2005). "The Weight of History Anchors an Earnest, Elliptical Odyssey". The Village Voice. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Bradshaw, Peter (21 January 2005). "Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow | Reviews". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ Lane, Anthony (19 September 2005). "Unhappy Families". The New Yorker. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ "Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ "Trilogia: To livadi pou dakryzei (The Weeping Meadow)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ "Competition | Trilogia: To livadi pou dakrisi". Berlin International Film Festival. 2004. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ "European Film Academy : 2004". European Film Academy. 2004. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
