User reviews

This excellent film stories the long way of the returning in occupied Greece of a group of soldiers that fought the Germans in World War 2, after the relatively orders of the Greek army in Athens. The film shows with a unique way the depression that the war caused to this people that were fighting the enemy in the front line of war without thinking any positive thing for many days. It shows their loss of positive emotions and how memories of their old life (wives, girlfriends, daily routine, etc.) are hurting them because they know that this life won't be there when they finally arrive at home. Some of them go crazy or die before the arrival in their occupied home. The other ones are walking exhausted through the mountains of Greece and the only thing they see is snow, ruined villages from bombings or German attacks and a nature that is to die. All these, the fantastic cinematography and the deep analysis that the director does in its characters' psychology make this film a great present to the war filmography.

Seen at the Viennale 2019: the Greek National Film Archive lend this fragile 35mm copy to the film festival. It was shown twice to a sold out seating. Cinematography in this b/w movie was excellent. The mix of close-up-to-the-face filming and big panorama pictures of Greek dying nature was perfect. We know that war is no fun. The director knows that we know and therefore does not need and is not willing to celebrate this side of the war. He goes for the senselessness in life (and hints that this might be also true in times of peace...).