O thiasos (1975)

Greece 1939 - 1952 Fascist, Nazi, Communist conflict as seen through a family of travelling provincial players

Director:

Theodoros Angelopoulos

Writer:

Theodoros Angelopoulos

Stars:

Eva Kotamanidou, Aliki Georgouli, Stratos Pahis

12 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Eva Kotamanidou	...	Elektra
Aliki Georgouli	...	Elektra's Mother
Stratos Pahis	...	Elektra's Father
Maria Vassiliou	...	Chrysothemis
Vangelis Kazan	...	Aegisthus
Petros Zarkadis	...	Orests
Kiriakos Katrivanos	...	Pylades
Giannis Fyrios	...	Accordionist
Nina Papazaphiropoulou	...	Old Woman
Alekos Boubis	...	Old Man
Grigoris Evangelatos	...	Poet
Kosta Stiliaris	...	Militia Leader
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Takis Doukatos	...	(as T. Doukakos)
Thanos Grammenos
Ketty Grigoratou

Storyline

A group of traveling players peregrinates through Greece attempting to perform the popular erotic drama Golfo The Shepherdess. In a first level the film focuses on the historical events between 1939 and 1952 as they are experienced by the traveling players and as they affect the villages which they visit: The last year of Metaxas' fascist dictatorship, the war against the Italians, the Nazi occupation, the liberation, the civil war between left and right wingers, the British and American interventionism in the Greek politics. In a second level the characters live their own drama of jealousy and betrayal, with its roots in the ancient myth of the House of Atreus. Agamemnon, a Greek refugee from Minor Asia, goes to war against the Italians in 1940, joins the resistance against the Germans, and is executed by them after being betrayed by Clytemnestra and Aegisthos. Aegisthos, Clytemnestra's lover, is an informer and collaborator working with the German occupiers. Orestes, son of ...

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Plot Keywords:

male nudity | rape | masturbation | male frontal nudity | full frontal male nudity | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | Music | War

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Details

Country:

Greece

Language:

Greek

Release Date:

6 September 1976 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

El viaje de los comediantes

Filming Locations:

Ioannina, Greece

Company Credits

Production Co:

Papalios Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

230 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Quotes

Elektra's Father: [before he is executed by the Germans] I came cross the sea, from Ionia. Where did you come from?

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Connections

Referenced in Taxidi sta Kythira (1984)

User Reviews

Theo Angelopoulos' Masterpiece

The Travelling Players is possibly the greatest movie in the history of Greek cinema. It is directed by the world-renowned Greek director Theo Angelopoulos and it presents the life in Greece from 1939 to 1952 through a family of travelling provincial players. It explores the political history of Greece during a very dramatic period, that includes dictatorship, the WWII outbreak, the Italian invasion and the subsequent German occupation and it continues with the liberation of the country and the very bloody Civil War.

The Travelling Players was a very controversial movie. The film was to participate officially in the Cannes Film Festival, but the conservative Greek government, sought (and failed) to prevent this to happen, because the film tells the modern Greek history through a left- Marxist perspective.

Angelopoulos proves that he's a master filmmaker on every level. From direction and writing to every technical aspect. Cinematography in particular.

Also, the music by Loukianos Kilaidonis is fantastic and elevates the film in a different level.

The Travelling Players is a masterpiece that everyone should watch.