Alexander the Great(O Megalexandros)
Dir: Theo Angelopoulos
Greece/Italy, 1980, Greek, 208mins, DCP
Cast: Omero Antonutti, Eva Kotamanidou, Grigoris Evanelatos
Assuming the spiritual glory of the legendary Greek liberator, this great Alexander is a bandit who kidnaps a group of English aristocrats and holds them in a mountain village for political ransom. The mysterious hero soon turns into a Stalin-like tyrant, whose brutality in silence brings the ruins of Greece. Radiating with Angelopoulos’ ambition to create a blend of imaginative filmmaking with classical Greek tragedy forms, this parable is a provocative examination on demythification – from the roots of legend, socialist ideals, to the vain promises of the new century, yet leaving a faint sense of hope in the reincarnated young Alexander.
Venice Film Festival: Special Jury Prize and FIPRESCI Prize
Thessaloniki Film Festival: Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Set Decoration and Best Sound