Michael Cacoyannis' earthy re-imagining of neo-realism as rebetika melodrama. Melina Mercouri's exuberant Stella is free to love and to suffer, but when bourgeois hypocrisy and patriarchy conspire to imprison her in a conventional marriage, she must decide her fate. Solid performances all-round with the gorgeous Mercouri an erotic whirlwind - the woman men dream about but meet only once. For real rebetika songs underpin the torrid passions on display, while the stark streets of 50s Athens bring true pathos to a simple story. Great cinema.
Showing posts with label melina mercouri. Show all posts
Showing posts with label melina mercouri. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Stella (Greece 1955)
Michael Cacoyannis' earthy re-imagining of neo-realism as rebetika melodrama. Melina Mercouri's exuberant Stella is free to love and to suffer, but when bourgeois hypocrisy and patriarchy conspire to imprison her in a conventional marriage, she must decide her fate. Solid performances all-round with the gorgeous Mercouri an erotic whirlwind - the woman men dream about but meet only once. For real rebetika songs underpin the torrid passions on display, while the stark streets of 50s Athens bring true pathos to a simple story. Great cinema.
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