Manos Katrakis Movies

When an old Communist fighter from the days of the Civil War (the 1967 rightist military take over) comes back to Greece from years of exile in Russia, his denial of the past and present causes behavior that frustrates his long-estranged family. He intends to go to the island of Cythera, Aphrodite's ancient center of worship, now rather ironically a place for pensioned seniors. But as the old man joins up with his son, daughter, and wife, he refuses to cooperate with them and will often be where they least expect to find him - his behavior is erratic and they are constantly following after him. This makes his journey to Cythera about as certain as his arriving at Kafka's castle. Director Theo Angelopoulos often sets an interior world against the exterior landscape, evoking a symbolism that is not easy to grasp - yet most viewers will be captivated by what they are seeing since it is the art of the film itself that dominates over any political or social statements. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

When the right-wing took control of Greece following the civil war, many injustices were carried out upon the populace which were only later brought to light and, sadly, most of these injustices were at the behest of the United States government. Writer/director Nikos Tzimas brilliantly chronicles one such incident in this powerful film concerning the career, arrest, and subsequent execution of popular left-wing resistance leader Nikos Beloyiannis (Phoebus Gikopoulos). Beloyiannis gained a large following for his campaign against the oppression of the people as well as his opposition to the parceling off of Greek land to foreign interests (mainly American). In response to his activities, the ruling party in charge of Greece, with the full support of its United States backers, accused Beloyiannis of treason, took him into custody for a trial with a predetermined outcome, and summarily put him to death for allegedly fomenting insurrection among a primarily illiterate populace who -- at the time -- would have been largely unaware of the government's pernicious activities without Beloyiannis' presence. A first-rate and sadly neglected depiction of a forgotten chapter of imperialist history, O Anthropos Me to Garifallo is a moving and important piece of filmmaking with a terrific cast of Greek film veterans including Alekos Alexandrakis, Petros Fyssoun, Anestis Vlachos, Stefanos Stratigos, and Manos Katrakis. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Greece did not recover its independence from the Ottoman Empire until early in the 19th century. Shortly afterward, European wars resulted in Greece being saddled with a Hapsburg monarchy. This movie tells the story of two judges, Polyzoedes and Tertsetis, who were given an order by the king (Othon/Otto) to sign a death sentence for two Greek heroes, generals Koloktronis and Plapoutas, who were accused of treason. The judges realized that the order was given because they were the king's political rivals and not because of treason, and they refused to sign it. They were subsequently made to stand trial themselves for dereliction of duty. The limits of the monarch's power were demonstrated to him when the two judges were acquitted. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Vassilis Georgiades directed this tense drama, one of the final Greek films made before the 1967 coup which led to restrictions on film content. The plot concerns struggles between peasants and the wealthy estate-owners over division of land in the early part of the 20th century. This battle is contrasted with the rivalry of two brothers over a woman's affections. The performances are somewhat lacking, but Georgiades' assured direction and presentation of a little-known chapter of Greek history resulted in an Oscar nomination as "Best Foreign Film." ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Kosmas (Costas Kazacos) is a young hoodlum who marries Myrto (Xenia Kalogueropoulou) after he makes money in the black market. Unknown to Kosmas, Myrto is a member of the underground movement fighting against the Nazis. When the Germans demand that all the males of the village assemble in the village square, Kosmas is puzzled when Myrto suddenly leaves. As Myrto warns the underground, Kosmas is forced by a traitor to reveal the identity of members of the underground. Manos Katrikis plays the underground leader, with Alexandra Ladikou as a woman also sought by the Nazis. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Yiorgos Tzavellas wrote and directed this award-winning attempt at reimagining the classic tragedy by Sophocles as an actual motion picture rather than simply filming the play, as was common in Greek adaptations of theatrical productions since the late '20s. Manos Katrakis received widespread acclaim for his performance as Creon, who becomes King of Thebes after both of Oedipus' sons kill each other in a duel to determine ascension to the throne following his death. Creon orders the body of one son, Polynices, be left above ground, but the dead man's sister, Antigone (Irene Papas in an award-winning star turn), disobeys the new king and gives her brother a semi-proper burial by sprinkling him with dust. As punishment, Antigone is buried alive in a tomb despite her engagement to Creon's son Haemon (Nikos Kazis). Creon's mind is changed by Teiresias (Tzavalas Karoussos), a prophet who explains that leaving Polynices unburied sullies the realm of the gods. Unfortunately, by the time Creon gets around to burying Polynices and freeing Antigone, the poor girl has hanged herself in her tomb. This leads Creon's son to commit suicide as well, followed by the suicide of his own wife. Plagued with misery and guilt, the broken Creon abdicates the throne, crushed by the tragic chain of events that he had unwittingly set in motion. One of the best Greek productions of the 1960s, and highly recommended for students of classical Greek tragedy on film, Antigoni co-stars Maro Kondou, Ilya Livikou, Yiannis Argiris, and Theodoros Moridis. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi