Ecos do Passado

I really enjoyed this film.. It is not a masterpiece, but it's strong, emotional and real.

And when I say real I do not refer to historical facts.

It is not a documentary or a historic featured film.

It is just a feature film INSPIRED by true events. It is very well made, and very humane... The film mainly shows the monstrosities the Nazis execute in WW2.

One negative thing I could mention would be the big difference, story wise, between the past and the present time. The past time is much much stronger and better written than the present time.

Direction, photography, editing, production design, sound, costumes, make-up, soundtrack, and special effects are equally great! Balanced and united for the shake of the story-line.

Acting varies from medium to marvelous (thank you Mr Sydow...)

It is the first time in Greek filmography that we don't see the struggle of any social/political group of people ( like Greek Communists or Jews) during the war.

This movie is not about minorities, or even the Greeks themself. It is about War Crime and how much our lives matter as human beings.

It is a historic narative action about the Execution of almost the entire population of a village in Greece. So no spoilers ahead, just have in mind history facts.

Directing (9/10) I would prefer less Close up shots, but they where handled properly. The way the director represented the execution of all males of the village is just a piece of art. And the aftermath was so painfull to see that honestly I felt some tears dropping. I would consider a (7/10) but there were some really memorable shots that they stay with me even after a week!

Screenplay (6.5/10) Overall not bad, although it was slow at some periods and there were some silly issues as far as realism is concerned. Simple story, not bad, but I felt it could be told much sooner than it was.

Acting (8/10) Ok, you have a legend, Max von Sydow, some French and some Greek actors. If you exclude Max, all the other actors were pretty decent. Not extraordinary, but did the job much better than "Ok". Yet, at some moments they gave soul and spirit.

Cinematography (10/10) Seriouly, exceptional. Honestly, I haven't seen many movies, even in Hollywood these days with that quality in the photography! The Colours are in the right mood, the picture is crispy and raw, the lighting gives drama when needed, the aesthetics are memorable.

Sound (9/10) Clear conversations, great sound effects, pure emotion at some shots. Nothing to be complex or disturbing.

Overall (8.5/10) I thought about it a lot. If I was not Greek I would still like this movie for all the above reasons. Maybe I wouldn't care about the Script so much, but still I would enjoy it.

I have a feeling this movie will have average rating because there is a problem with the Greeks as population.

The Greeks hate whatever is Greek, most propably because they compare multi billionaire productions with local Athenian artists. I hope I'm wrong, but history always repeats itself so...

An eye-opener of a movie to raise awareness on what happened in Kalavryta on the 13 of December 1943.

A well done movie, lacking flow, mostly showing sadness with some bad editing. It could have benefited as a 4-part series. Most benefited.

RIP Max Von Sydow.

• Screenplay/story: 8
• Development: 8.5
• Realism: 8.5
• Entertainment: 8
• Acting: 8.5
• Filming/cinematography: 8.5
• Visual/special effects: 8
• Music/score: 8.5
• Depth: 8.5
• Logic: 7.5
• Flow: 8
• Drama: 8.5
• Ending/closure: 8.

I find the film to be a strong 7.5 stars for its subject matter and scale. The acting can be uneven at times and the present appears hacked to death in the editing room (the much-publicized scene with Richard Chamberlain and Max von Sydow is nowhere to be found) resulting in a film that feels wobbly at times as it moves between past and present. One almost suspects that there was something far more elaborate in the mind of the creators especially when it comes to the present time. The writer has hinted as much in an article. That being said, one can only be judged by the result on the screen and despite its flaws, this is a good, anti-war film (a theme so topical and urgent these days) that uncovers a part of WW2 history few people outside Greece know. It's certainly worth watching.

Great movie showing the struggle of that region during that time. Very sad moments throughout but also a great depiction what people were feeling. Loved the directing and acting and would definitely recommend to is movie to anyone wanting to learn more about that region and time period.