A Última Nota

I strongly support Greek creative efforts; however, this film was not executed as it should have been for the following reasons: 1. The writers did not conduct extensive research on the protagonists, who were real historical figures. Their characters are not developed as thoroughly as they should be.

2. The film takes place almost entirely (about 95%) in the prison setting. This is clearly due to budget constraints. However, the film should have approached this historical event in a more comprehensive way, offering insights into the backstories of some of the protagonists, their families, and how they ended up there.

3. There should have been scenes depicting occupied Athens and a more elaborate plot. A mix of fictional elements with historical facts is definitely necessary to enrich the narrative.

From a directorial standpoint, it's a good effort. The film clearly suffers from a lack of budget. In Greece, we have the know-how but not the funding. It's a shame! Films like this could be true gems. Instead, they fade into obscurity.

"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.

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.

I really liked the first part of this film. It informed me about the occupation of Greece during WWII, something I knew little about prior to this. I especially enjoyed the way the German captors were portrayed. Some scenes were a little unnerving and I only assume they were based on historical sources. The reason I didn't give this film a higher rating? The last part of it was too melodramatic and drawn out for too long. It was just too obvious what was going to happen by that point. Other than shortening I'm not sure how else the ending could be improved & can't give a better score as it is.

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.