Captain Corelli's Mandolin film - This page is in Association with Greek Villas

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Captain Corelli's Mandolin is a 2001 film directed by John Madden and based on the novel of the same name by Louis de Bernières. It stars Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz. The film was slated by critics on its release and disappointed fans due to the fact that it deviates somewhat from the plot of the novel, with many of the book's tragic episodes softened.

Music by Stephen Warbeck
Cinematography John Toll
Editing by Mick Audsley
Distributed by Miramax Films (UK)
Universal Pictures (outside UK)

Synopsis

In 1941, Italy allies with Germany and conquers the much weaker country of Greece. On the remote Greek island of Kefalonia, an Italian artillery garrison is established to maintain order. One Italian officer, Captain Corelli, adopts an attitude of mutual co existence with the Greeks and engages in such activities as music festivals and courting the daughter (Pelagia) of a local doctor. In 1943, however, after Italy surrenders to the Allies and changes sides in the war, Captain Corelli must defend the Greek island against a German invasion.

Cast

Nicolas Cage - Captain Antonio Corelli

Penélope Cruz - Pelagia

John Hurt - Dr. Iannis

Christian Bale - Mandras
Irene Papas - Drosoula
Gerasimos Skiadaressis - Mr. Stamatis
Aspasia Kralli - Mrs. Stamatis
Michael Yannatos - Kokolios (as Mihalis Giannatos)
Dimitris Kaberidis - Father Aresenios (as Dimitris Kamperidis)
Pietro Sarubbi - Velisarios, The Strongman (as Pedro Sarubbi)
Viki Maragaki - Eleni, Pelagia's Friend
Joanna-Daria Adraktas - Young Lemoni
Ira Tavlaridis - Older Lemoni
Katerina Didaskalou - Lemoni's Mother
Emilios Chilakis - Dimitris

deviations from novel
In the book, Dr. Iannis is kidnapped by Greek Partisans after the war, and upon his return is mute because of the trauma he has suffered. He is subsequently killed in the earthquake of 1953. In the film there is no kidnap, and Iannis survives the earthquake.
In the book, Mandras and Corelli never meet, however the film contrives an aggressive meeting between them over Pelagia, and eventually Mandras rescues Corelli from the scene of the firing squad, an action performed in the book by Velissarios.
The film ends with Corelli returning to the Cephallonia shortly after the earthquake in 1953, with Cage delivering the line: 'I tried to live without you, and couldn't'. In the original story Corelli does not return until decades later, when he and Pelagia are both in old age.
In the book, Mandras returns after the Acqui Massacre to Pelagia, who shoots him in the shoulder, and Drosoula, who is staying with Pelagia after her father's kidnap, renounces him and throws him out of the house, and he dies that night whilst swimming with his dolphins. In the film, he is seen to simply leave and never come back.
In the film, Lemoni's parents are taken away and killed, so Lemoni is adopted and brought up by Dr Iannis and Pelagia. In the book, this never happens. In the book, Pelagia and Drosoula adopt a baby girl found on their doorstep and raise her as their own, naming her first Psipsina, then Antonia.
The character Carlo, and the book's homosexual themes, are never mentioned in the film.
In the book, the two protagonists finally meet, but both are virgins. In the film, the two characters have a sex scene together in the woods. De Bernières has remarked, in an interview with the Guardian, that this scene was "senseless".

Most notable is de Bernières' ambiguity to heroes and villains. Following the traits of the modern novel, de Bernières presents characters rather than stereotypes and avoids explicit judgement of them as individuals. Many of the characters, despite committing atrocities, are viewed as victims of bad circumstance - people caught between death and following orders. But many find this moral relativism.

Captan Corellis Manndolin Captin Correlli's Mendolin