Mediterraneo (1991)

In WW2, an Italian Army unit of misfits occupies an isolated non-strategic Greek island for the duration of the war.

Director:

Gabriele Salvatores

Writer:

Enzo Monteleone

Stars:

Diego Abatantuono, Claudio Bigagli, Giuseppe Cederna

Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Diego Abatantuono	...	Nicola Lorusso
Claudio Bigagli	...	Raffaele Montini
Giuseppe Cederna	...	Antonio Farina
Claudio Bisio	...	Corrado Noventa
Gigio Alberti	...	Eliseo Strazzabosco (as Luigi Alberti)
Ugo Conti	...	Luciano Colasanti
Memo Dini	...	Libero Munaron
Vasco Mirandola	...	Felice Munaron
Vana Barba	...	Vassilissa
Luigi Montini	...	Pope
Irene Grazioli	...	Iazu
Antonio Catania	...	Carmelo LaRosa

Storyline

Greek Sea, World War II. An Italian ship leaves a handful of soldiers on a little island; their mission is to spot enemy ships and to hold the island in case of attack. The village of the island seems abandoned and there isn't a single enemy in sight, so the soldiers begin to relax a little. Things change when their ship is hit and destroyed by the enemy, and the soldiers find themselves abandoned there. Actually, the island isn't deserted and when the Greeks understand that those Italians are harmless, they come out of their hiding places in the mountains and continue their peaceful lives. Soon the soldiers discover that being left behind in a God-forgotten Greek island isn't such a bad thing, after all...

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Plot Keywords:

nostalgia | donkey | escapism | painting | church | 

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Taglines:

On a magical Greek island a soldier is about to discover that it is better to make love instead of war [Australian theatrical]

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, language and drug content

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English Greek Turkish

Release Date:

31 January 1991 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Mediterráneo

Filming Locations:

Kastellorizo Island, Dodecannese, Greece

Box Office

Gross USA:

$4,532,791

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,532,791

Company Credits

Production Co:

A.M.A. Film, Penta Film, Silvio Berlusconi Communications

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 86 min (international)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The aircraft that lands on the improvised football field is not a Fieseler Storch at all. It is a Piper Cub sufficing to represent 'an aeroplane' within the limits of the film's budget, the producers rightly surmising that the average audience would neither know or care about what type it is.

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Quotes

Nicola Lorusso: Know what this reminds me of? When the vacation was over. That's when we went back to school. Vacation was over and we headed home. This atmosphere here reminds me of that moment. I wonder if it's right. The world changes, and we're here. Right or not, that' how it is.Destiny can be manipulated. You can try to have things go as you'd like. One can change destiny.
Luciano Colasanti: It's not easy. Sometimes one has to obey destiny.

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Connections

Referenced in Adjust Your Tracking (2013)

User Reviews

light film, heavy message

It was a very good Italian film I've seen along with Cinema paradiso and Barnabo delle Mongtagne. On the island they forget everything, just enjoy peace and simple jolly life. 30years later,a few people left the island come back, because they couldn't adjust themselves in the world. Only place to return to was the island. On watching the film, I was quite saddened, because our life is like a dessert where Utopia is nothing but a mirage. Director's words "I'd like to dedicate this film to people who want to run away" says all. Very memorable film!!!