Rembetiko

Rembetiko music was the music of the people living their lives on the slums of that time. People using drugs, women who sold their bodies to survive, small time crooks, angels and demons of the ghettos of that era.

The soundtrack of this film, was written exclusively for this project by Xarhakos. One the greatest Greek composers ever. And it is a masterpiece. It has catchy songs, it has songs with political messages, it has hymns to sadness, it is a versatile masterpiece. And in many scenes, Ferris, the director of the movie, managed to lock the musical track playing in the background, with the scenes in front with absolute perfection.

The movie manages to show us how these people lived back then. And their struggles and emotions. But I honestly think i love this film mainly because I am Greek and A, I know the history of my people, and B, I love Rembetiko music. I am not sure it will be a nice cinematic experience for foreigners who ignore historic facts about modern Greece and who have no idea about what Rembetiko music is.

I know for a fact that a lot of Turkish, Arab and Israeli people, who love rembetiko and similar music, loved this film. But even them, they loved it mainly because of the superb music. I state again that the music created for this film, is a collection of masterpieces. The uplifting tracks make you wanna stand up and dance, and the sad ones make you melancholic.

But I cannot say that the film is a great film overall. Chances are that if you dislike Greek rembetiko music, you will also find the film to be irrelevant. Greece being a tiny country, it's modern history is not known to non Greek people. So all films that show bits of that history, are doomed to look less interesting, or confusing to non Greek audiences.

A scene or even just a dialogue might make my heart turn to pieces because I know about the pain of the Greek people of that era.

But an Englishman will probably stand confused. So i would say that Rembetiko as film would be a nice experience for Greeks and for foreigners who love Rembetiko music. But the rest of you will probably find it without any meaning or purpose.

This movie is one of those almost forgotten gems produced by the Greek cinema. A great, well made, movie brought about by the truly conscientious efforts of a small team of people but confined into near obscurity by whoever now owns the distribution rights. The story line traces the evolution of the Rembetiko music, genre that could be described as the Greek blues, through some important milestones in the history of Greece in the early 1900's and at the same time through the tragic life of rembetiko singer Marika Ninou. Difficult to find it as DVD and the rare offerings on Amazon or eBay are well over-priced considering the atrocious picture quality. A pitiful shame indeed for such a great movie.

Beautiful film and the music was very moving. This is a great film for people who want to delve deeper in to Greek culture. The many actresses that played Marika were very well chosen. Hats off to Ferris who wrote such a story. The scenery in the film really helped give an idea about the slums. I wish the subtitles were a bit better because I noticed there was more going on and not enough being translated. It is amazing how the blues genre of the world is the same in soul but different in sound. I would have loved a bit more history on Asia minor. The music at the lemon market is my favourite in the beginning. This story is not about the famous Greek singer although a lot of similarities do exist but amazing movie nonetheless.

Considered to be one of the most powerful and emotional Greek movies, Rembetiko focuses on the life of an individual woman,a real person and through her personal story, it retells the story of Greece,from 1920 to 1955:the national disaster in Asia Minor,the one million refugees who came to Greece,the World War II,the Nazi occupation,the Civil War.The tragedy and the glory of a nation during the century.And all these bound with the music of rembetiko,the music of the outcasts.Great direction,great performances,great music.A voyage to history of the first half of the 20th century, but also a voyage to the origins of rembetiko.Realistic and dreamy.An original Greek epic.

I was very pleased to find 'Rembetiko' on DVD after so many years! Back then, it only was on for a short time at my local cinema/art-house (Rotterdam, Holland)/ right after, I was *very* impressed and checked for another view, but it was the very last one performance, alas. Since then, this movie became some sort of a myth in my memory.

After seeing the film after almost 25 years it feels very different... (now I'm older I know more in what way Greece also suffered during WWII/ and their drama is still not very well known in Europe, they kept the horror more quiet, IMO). So this knowledge was an extra for me in 2007.

Therefore I disagree with the former poster "dionysianartist", the emphasis on the Nazi-period gives the movie a wonderful twist. Perhaps this way, it also returns the feeling to the true blues of 1920's Rembetica.

My DVD came with these subtitles; *Greek *English *French *Spanish *Italian *German *Turkish (No further extra's).

Check it out; great film, with much of the Greek sphere and feelings involved.

John.