THE MEDITERRANEAN IN FLAMES is a low budget Greek WW2 film perhaps inspired by the big wave of Italian WW2 movies that were being made at the tail-end of the 1960s. It tells the story of two childhood friends who end up fighting on different sides in a big battle. The emphasis is on naval combat but the film utilises a lot of stock footage and not a lot else. The storytelling is sloppy and quite boring and the attempts at characterisation are limited; certainly you feel nothing for those involved in the mayhem. In the end, this poverty-row production merely passes the viewer by instead of engaging him in any way.
3 Reviews
More talk less action
dbborroughs29 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Love Lust and War.
This is an okay story of Greek partisans battling the Germans during the Second World War. The sister of one of them takes up with a German commander while he is playing macho games. Its an anachronistic take on things as ships and other things seem to come from a much later time than is depicted in the film. This was a film that really held my attention. Its not bad rather it seemed more like a soap opera than a war film. It wasn't really what I was in the mood for, namely a rip roaring action yarn (I was watching a multi-film DVD set and was looking for a final action film for a double feature nd drew this after a full out action film) . If you're in the mood for something a bit less action packed give it a try, all others can look else where.
This is an okay story of Greek partisans battling the Germans during the Second World War. The sister of one of them takes up with a German commander while he is playing macho games. Its an anachronistic take on things as ships and other things seem to come from a much later time than is depicted in the film. This was a film that really held my attention. Its not bad rather it seemed more like a soap opera than a war film. It wasn't really what I was in the mood for, namely a rip roaring action yarn (I was watching a multi-film DVD set and was looking for a final action film for a double feature nd drew this after a full out action film) . If you're in the mood for something a bit less action packed give it a try, all others can look else where.
Tense spy/war drama. Excellent acting.
pywmsj16 August 2023
This movie has been unfairly critiqued due to the admittedly subpar screenwriting. There are certainly some flaws overall but the production value is generally quite good; cinematography and set design are above average for this era of Greek film-making, and there are some exceptional performances by a number of the actors with Olga Politou especially being very good. The tension during the scenes focused on the espionage plot line is excellently done and keeps one invested in the characters involved. Do not expect a historically accurate account of the Greek WWII resistance, but enjoy a very sharp and engaging story full of emotion.
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