MEDITERRANEO
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1992 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: During World War II, eight Italian
soldiers are sent to secure a Greek island. Cut off from
their commanders, they turn the island occupation into a
three-year vacation and find they are becoming Greek in the
process. This film is a short vacation in itself, even if
the story and situations are much cliched. Rating: +1 (-4 to
+4).
It's an old story really. The conqueror conquers the land, stays, and then the land conquers the conqueror. It happened many times in Chinese history. It is really what LOCAL HERO and DANCES WITH WOLVES were about. There are references to it happening in James Michener's HAWAII (There are probably better examples.) In MEDITERRANEO, set during World War II, eight fairly incompetent Italian soldiers are sent to secure a small Greek island. An enemy attack destroys their boat and incompetence destroys the radio. There is nothing they can do but secure the island for Italy and wait out the war with almost no responsibility. Over the course of three years they become more Greek than Italian.
This is an amiable and likable comedy that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film of 1991. While many of the situations are cliched, the film never appears to be trying to be more than it actually is. The Italians are led by Lt. Montini (played by Claudio Bigagli), who wants to make art, not war. Considerably more aggressive is Sgt. Lo Russo (played by Diego Abatantuono), who is anxious to get on with the war but will settle for soccer. If the film has any message it is that people can learn to adapt to good climate, beautiful scenery, dance, easy sex, soccer, drugs, and no responsibility.
One place the film does have a problem is in the passage of time. What seems to the viewer to be a couple of months the dialogue tells us is three years. Then again, good climate, beautiful scenery, dance, easy sex, soccer, drugs, and no responsibility might easily make three years feel like two months. MEDITERRANEO is directed by Gabriele Salvatores, who previously directed MARRAKECH EXPRESS and TURNE. This one is guaranteed to lower your blood pressure. I rate it a +1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
att!mtgzy!leeper
leeper@mtgzy.att.com
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