The Ogre of Athens (1956)

A peaceful, frightened little man is mistakenly identified as "the dragon", a notorious criminal at large. He briefly and reluctantly rules the underworld until they realize their mistake.

Director:

Nikos Koundouros

Writer:

Iakovos Kabanellis

Stars:

Dinos Iliopoulos, Margarita Papageorgiou, Giannis Argyris

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Dinos Iliopoulos	...	Thomas
Margarita Papageorgiou	...	Roula
Giannis Argyris	...	Hondros
Thanasis Vengos	...	Spathis
Theodoros Andriakopoulos	...	(as Thodoros Andriakopoulos)
Marika Lekaki	...	Carmen (as Maria Lekaki)
Frixos Nassou
Kostas Stavrinoudakis
Manolis Vlachakis
Kostas Spagopoulos
Zizi Viopoulou
Kassi Janet

Storyline

With New Year's Eve just around the corner in mid-1950s Athens, the meek and reclusive bank clerk, Thomas, is shocked to discover that he has a striking resemblance with the notorious deviant who terrorises the city. Burdened with yet another knotty problem that threatens not only his already frail freedom but also his very life, Thomas finds refuge in the seedy underbelly of Piraeus, at a disreputable cabaret; the smoke-filled haven of vicious cut-throats, perfidious divas, and the home of pure and innocent, Roula. There, a violent gang of unscrupulous thieves welcomes Thanos as their leader and, above all, their saviour, unbeknownst to them that fate has other plans in store for everyone involved in their lucrative scheme. But, as Thomas' distorted image earns him ample respect, more and more, the boundaries between reality and illusion become unclear. Now, for the sake of the unsoiled femme fatale, can this grotesque new persona, the "Ogre of Athens", banish a lifetime of fear?

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Plot Keywords:

1950s | 50s | piraeus greece | innocence | greek | 

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Taglines:

The most biting, the most daring social satire.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

When the film opened in Greek cinemas in 1956, it was a disaster, both critically and commercially. It was international critical hailing of the film which changed its course. Now it is recognized as one of the 10 most important Greek films of all time.

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Connections

References Magic City (1954)

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Soundtracks

Ilisos
Performed by Margarita Papageorgiou
Composed by Manos Hatzidakis
Lyrics by Giorgos Emirzas

User Reviews

Greece after the WWII

This is the first Greek film of that "Artistic" nature, that years later would almost destroy the Greek cinema. But in the 50's it was a great novelty for the local production. On a first level, it's talking about the story of a little man who is tiered of being this little man and decides that he 'd rather have the short but glorious life of a famous criminal. His borrowed reputation, soon gets him the tragic but exceptional end that he almost is wishing for. Still, this is not really a crime movie! It's a political film, made in a time when this was not permited by the authorities. The wounds from the wars that passed, the 2nd world war and the Greek civil war (a taboo topic at the time), are obvious to the viewer with eyes open. The poverty that dooms the life of the nation and the influence of the USA in Greece, not by their model of life but with their unethical, political involvements, is underlined with the only way that it was possible for the Greek cinema of the time! A beautiful, lyrical tragedy, with a message to read between the lines.

Details

Country:

Greece

Language:

Greek

Release Date:

5 March 1956 (Greece)

Also Known As:

The Ogre of Athens

Filming Locations:

Athens, Greece

Company Credits

Production Co:

Athens Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1