Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Kavafis (1996)

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   99 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 6% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Yannis Smaragdis
Writers:
Dimitris Katalifos (co-writer)
Dimitris Nollas (co-writer)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Kavafis on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
22 April 1998 (France) more
Genre:
Biography | Drama more
Plot:
Loosely based on the life of Greek poet Konstantinos Kavafis. | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 win more
User Comments:
Kavafis deserves better more

Cast

  (Credited cast)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Cavafy (France)
Kavafi
more
Runtime:
Greece:85 min
Country:
Greece | Cyprus | France
Language:
Greek
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Certification:
France:U

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful:-
Kavafis deserves better, 29 March 2008
2/10
Author: pgeo2286 from Boston, MA

Greek cinema doesn't boast many good films, and when a film like "Kavafis" comes out, people take notice. The film has beautiful scenes from 19th and early 20th century Alexandria, Constantinople and Athens and a wonderful score from the famous Vangelis (of "Chariots of Fire" fame). Most Greek films never reach a level that "Kavafis" has in these aspects. However, the script and story is so poor that "Kavafis" reveals little about the poet's life and inspiration and makes a movie that has so much potential utterly disappointing.

Director Smaragthis does two controversial things with the film. First, he has Cavafy speak no lines in the entire film, except for voice-overs of his poems. This decision is understandable considering that we only hear the true words of Cavafy in a film about him. Can't do much better for historical accuracy I suppose. However, for an audience, scenes where everyone else is speaking and Cavafy is sitting silently seem very odd. The times where Cavafy opens his mouth to speak and then suddenly doesn't are almost comic.

The second controversial aspect of this film is the fact that the movie deals only with Cavafy's homosexual love life. We learn very little about his family, education and inspiration for his poetry. Someone who had never known Cavafy before this film would think that all Cavafy did all day was lurk the dark alleys and tavernas of Constantinople and Alexandria to find men. The poems that Smaragthis chose to have in the film almost exclusively focus on homosexual themes. While Cavafy's homosexuality needs to be dealt with in a film, it seems every scene involves Cavafy staring into the eyes of some new man. In fact, Cavafy's rejection by the Athenian literary establishment is portrayed as Cavafy being rejected sexually by one of the leading Athenian poets of the time, Mavroudis. Not only do these scenes limit our understanding of Cavafy's life, but they really make for a static, and honestly boring movie.

A great poet like Cavafy deserves better. Let's hope the next person to take on the life of Cavafy decides to portray him as the complicated genius he really was.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Kavafis (1996)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Total Eclipse Wilde Meteoro kai skia The History Boys I sfagi tou kokora
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Biography section IMDb Greece section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.