Anazitisis...

This is one of those "EOT" films, as we call them here. EOT is the Greek Tourism Organization, and this genre, very common in the 70s and destined mainly for export, was just like a "travel to Greece" ad. Sun, blue seas, naked women, rich resorts, parties, high society. They were even using English accents(!) when speaking. Since they couldn't find Greek women to get full frontal nudity on celluloid, they were always hiring English or Scandinavian girls. These films were kind of an underground cult in Greece, because they were so awful and ridiculous, just a bait for tourists. It's a joke to consider this a film, but it is a perfect candidate for the so-bad-it's-good category, if you know a bit or two about Greece and Greeks, because this is so UNLIKE Greece. While Elena Nathanael surfaced from these roles, I wonder what Antonopoulos and Kavvadia are doing in this movie.

The movie is one of the Klearhos Konitsiotis (Zitima zois kai thanatou (1973), To agistri (1976) )productions of that era, which look so much alike. The story is a little of a murder story, a little of upper class lifestyle, Greek islands (Mykonos) and finaly a love story alltogether! The film shows the ultimate upper class style (in clothes, way of living, even in the language used and the way of talking - some lines are really exceptional). It is certainly not a miracle, but some lines are really something! I strongly disagree with the comments of Ange-8 that the film has to do with the National (Greek) Turism Organization (or EOT as he quotes) or of the purpose intended! Greece was (and is) well known much before the '70s for the islands, sea and sun package so that a movie is produced only for that!!! Personally, I like the film which I believe is cult (but not underground) and I recommend the film to viewers who can understand its real tone, style and living of that period.

The movie is a point of reference to the 1970s reflecting the life-style of the upper class within all its glamour and exaggeration. One can easily trace the influence of French and Italian sensual cinema in this Greek production and, just like other works by Errikos Andreou and Klearhos Konitsiotis, "Anazitisis" is received by a large audience in Greece as cult, mainly because of all the "glitter" it is sprinkled and the sometimes grotesque dialogs. The presence of a good cast doesn't seem to support what in reality is a weak movie. Intentionally an erotic thriller, the film cannot be labeled as such having a fair amount of romantic drama in it and climax in soap-opera fashion. Although it is uncertain whether that was initially planned, "Anazitisis", like many other films of the same era and genre has become what is widely known as a "silent ad" for tourism depicting the attractions of all-time favourite holiday destinations such as the Greek islands. In my opinion this was just a trend back at the day and not some kind of state-imposed policy. The rare beauty of Elena Nathanail and the atmospheric music by Giannis Spanos (another '70s trademark) are the most important qualities which, without rescuing the film, justify its reputation as cult.