O Theos agapaei to haviari

I have to confess that I am no expert on the history of either Greek, Russia or the Ottoman Empire, so I actually watched this in the hope that I might learn a little something about any or all of these subjects. Varvakis seemed an interesting subject for a bio pic. First, it's hard to really classify what he was exactly. A sailor? A pirate? A merchant? A revolutionary? Or a somewhat chaotic combination thereof? Chaotic! That's actually a word I would apply to this movie. The flow was chaotic. The story was interesting - I never had the temptation to turn it off - but it was also very hard to follow. Varvakis leaves Greece while it's under Ottoman rule and ends up as a hero in Russia after fighting for the Russians against Turkey. He becomes friends with Catherine the Great and because of her generosity he ends up as a caviar magnate, but finds himself driven to return to Greece after the Ottomans are overthrown, and in reality he did in fact became a benefactor to the new Greek government - giving much of his wealth for the cause of education. But from what little I've been able to glean of Varvakis' life there are also liberties taken with his story. That's dramatic licence and it's fine - but if you're not really familiar with the subject matter it's pretty hard to sort out fact from fiction. There are also what seem to be some bizarre theological reflections scattered throughout, and I never quite grasped what point was being made from them, except that they seemed to suggest that Varvakis was a fatalist of some sort - God has a plan and we follow it, whatever may happen.

The performances here were very good. Sebastian Koch was superb as Varvakis. Aside from him, the actors I was most familiar with were Catherine Deneuve as Catherine the Great and John Cleese as a British official who was confused about what was happening with Varvakis and sought an explanation - although I'm not convinced of the reality of Cleese's character. That narrative (along with a story being told to children by an old friend of Varvakis) were the means of driving the film forward. There was a whole plethora of Greek actors and actresses with whom I'm not personally familiar although they're presumably well known to Greek audiences.

So, the movie was interesting - but in the end frustrating, because it didn't really give me a solid grasp of exactly what was happening from a historical perspective. So - not a bad movie, just a chaotic and frustrating one. (4/10)

Stunning film, which provokes a multitude of sentiments throughout its length, from laughter to cry, bliss to mild horror. Surprising, exciting and well made. Great cinematography, some beautiful shots of the Greek sea. A complex story made clear even for the ignorant (of the History behind it) to understand. The life of a hero from birth to death fits perfectly in a very carefully constructed scenario, which is in line with real events of his life and his time. And even if it's made to look like a 'fairy tale' for kids the film itself assures you it is not. Very good cast, a combination of international actors adapting difficult roles and performing them well. I felt it contains the 'theatrical stage element' as many other Greek productions do. Overall, honest with the viewer, it helps you stay a viewer enhancing your critical thought about what you are watching, giving you time to process it. And above all, the first 30 minutes give you more satisfaction than the series of The Pirates of the Caribbean all together! I would watch it again.

One of the best films I have seen in my life!! Congratulations to everyone involved!

I found the direction wonderful, the costumes and sets were amazingly done and captured the era to a T!

Sebastian Koch was immaculate in his role of Ioannis Varvakis. I believe it was one of his best roles of his career. Ivan's performance was exceptional, and Marisha Triantafyllidou as Varvakis' daughter really impressed me.

As for the music, it was beautifully composed, it touched my heart deeply and it really filled up the film.

A movie very close to Varvakis life. A movie that shows that Greeks are exactly like that , we always let our Βenefactors like Varvakis to die & always act like traitors for the interest of the wealthy countries(as long as our pocket is full with money). Something that still happens today. I believe that this is what Smaragdis is trying to tell us. But unfortunately we cannot handle the truth. If Smaragdis had more funds he could make it even better. Some of the special effects (like the destruction of the Turkish fleet) could have been better. But these cost. The change between languages might sound a little confusing but it was a necessity . A big bravo for Mr Smaragdis, i enjoyed the complex of this movie much more than El-Greco.

Nice attempt, though it is obvious it needed better writing. Very good performances by Koch and Bioto,excellent direction of photography. What is more, is the fact that it is worth seeing it even though it goes very abruptly from scene to scene. Very good music by Minos Matsas.The poor part of the story is the supporting performances which are rather shallow, and not analyzed. Smaragdis, is a good director, decent, but he has never been in the position of creating a great and momentary film. Excellent editing by George Mavropsaridis, may be the best Greek editor at this time in Greek movie industry. Cameos are made by a number of well known Greek actors but the extensive use of English language during the film is not a beneficial factor of the movie.