A Última Nota

Pantelis Voulgaris is a Greek director renowned for the aesthetic quality of his movies as well as his preoccupation with modern Greek history. It did not come to me as a surprise therefore, that I enjoyed the film so much. The historic facts were there, the story was good, the actors were well cast and played beautifully, photography was good as with all his films, but I really was pleasantly surprised by the details of the filming itself. This film stroke me as one that paid real attention to detail, very much unlike other Greek films. The sound was really good (an issue with older modern Greek movies) and all effects used were really well thought out and balanced.

The story itself is moving, (maybe less so if you are not Greek). Communists imprisoned by the fascist friendly Metaxas regime, are not released when the war breaks to fight at the front, and instead, the German occupation finds them behind bars. The killing of a Nazi general by the resistance, causes a huge retaliation of the Nazis against the Greeks.

When I saw the trailer for this film I was amazed by the high production value and the serious tone the film had ,with out been overly dramatic nor it had ludicrous scenes.

To the film itself ,it focuses on the execution of the inmates in in Kaisariani, as reprisal for the Greek Resistance ambush against Nazis. In the film we see how violent and predatory were the occupation forces as well as the willingness of all of the population either to fight back or support those who fight back. And when it comes to the execution it is portrait in a very mature and emotional manner.

As for historical accuracy, top notch truly the director and his team put a lot of effort in order to be faithful to the events and shows what the people of my country, Greece were willing to do for resisting to the foreign occupiers. As for the main point of view character Napoleon Soukatzidis, I love that he is neither a bad-ass nor a leading figure, he is just a significant yet small part of that story and I appreciated that interpretation.

Over all this film is the best that the Greek cinema has made in ages and I hope that this just the first of many to come.

"The Last Note" is a Drama - History movie in which we watch the events of the 1st of May 1944 when German occupiers executed 200 Greek resistance fighters in Kaisariani after an ambush Greek resistance against Nazis.

Since I knew the story of the execution of those 200 people in Kaisariani I was curious to see how it will be presented and I have to admit that Pantelis Voulgaris who was the director did an incredible good job. He succeeded on both presenting the history correctly, and also showed us the backstory of it and the everyday life of Greeks during the occupation by the Nazis. The interpretations of Andreas Konstantinou who played as Napoleon Soukatzidis, André Hennicke who played as Karl Fischer and Melia Kreiling who played as Hara Lioudaki mad the difference. All in all, I have to say that "The Last Note" is a nice movie that presents a horrible event as true as possible.

As The Last Note is based on true events you watch it with different eyes. The story is different than in the usual world war II movies so that's also a bonus. This story is about the Greek resistance versus the Nazis. After an ambush from the Greek resistance against the Nazis there are reprisals that won't let anybody indifferent. The Last Note is an emotional movie, maybe a tiny bit too long in my eyes, but nevertheless it's an interesting movie with good actors. The movie is a bit predictable at one point but it doesn't really matter as it's more a historical drama rather than a mystery story.

Based on true events, this film takes place in 1943 during the German occupation of Greece and follows a group of resistance fighters who are captured and faced with a grim fate. The movie beautifully weaves together themes of sacrifice, courage, and the human spirit during desperate times. The performances are raw and heartfelt, especially by Andreas Konstantinou, who brings depth and nuance to his role. The emotional weight is palpable, and I found myself really invested in the characters' fates. The cinematography captures the haunting beauty of the Greek landscape, contrasting sharply with the darkness of the story. One of the standout elements for me was the film's ability to blend hope with despair, leaving viewers with a sense of unresolved tension. It's not an easy watch, but it definitely sticks with you and sparks important conversations about freedom and resistance. If you're looking for a heartfelt drama that respects history while telling a compelling story, The Last Note is definitely worth checking out! Just be prepared to have your heartstrings pulled.