Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow (Greek: Τριλογία: Το λιβάδι που δακρύζει) is a 2004 Greek historical drama film written[4] and directed by Theo Angelopoulos.[5][8] 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]
| Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Τριλογία: Το λιβάδι που δακρύζει |
| Directed by | Theo Angelopoulos |
| Screenplay by | Theo Angelopoulos Tonino Guerra Petros Markaris Giorgio Silvagni |
| Produced by | Nikos Sekeris[1] |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Andreas Sinanos[2] |
| Edited by | Yorgos Triantafyllou[1] |
| Music by | Eleni Karaindrou[3] |
| Distributed by | Rosebud (Greece) Celluloid Dreams[1] (Worldwide) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 169 minutes[4][5] |
| Country | Greece |
| Language | Greek[4] |
| Box office | $64,424[6][7] |
It is the first film of a projected trilogy about recent events in Greek history.[9] Followed in 2008 with The Dust of Time, the trilogy was ultimately left incomplete after Angelopoulos' unexpected death in January 2012.[9]
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 adopted-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 67% score based on 27 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[9]
- "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)
