"Captain Corelli's Mandolin"

 Captain Corelli's Mandolin

I’d like to introduce a film that isn’t very well-known: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Directed by John Madden, who also helmed Shakespeare in Love, and starring Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz, this movie was released in 2001. It’s a shame that the film didn’t receive high acclaim, especially since its source material is a novel by Louis de Bernières, published in the UK in 1993. The book became an instant bestseller, with one in twenty people said to have read it. In the final scene of the movie Notting Hill, Hugh Grant’s bookstore owner is seen reading this novel on a park bench while Julia Roberts, playing a pregnant character, rests her head on his lap. Over seven years, it sold more than two million copies and was published in 26 countries. Coinciding with the film’s release, a Japanese translation was published in 2001.

The Story

The narrative is based on a real event during World War II on the Greek island of Kefalonia, where 117 Italian soldiers were massacred by the German Wehrmacht after Italy’s surrender. The war encroaches upon the rustic, pastoral island of Kefalonia, entangling the life of Pelagia, the daughter of the island’s doctor, Iannis. Her fiancé, Mandras, a local fisherman, goes off to war and loses contact. Greece surrenders to Germany and Italy, and when Mandras returns, wounded but alive, he has lost his former innocence, now consumed by a fierce hatred for the enemy. Pelagia’s heart drifts away from him.

Eventually, Axis occupation forces arrive on the island. Captain Antonio Corelli, leading the Italian troops, carries a mandolin on his back. Despite the wartime setting, Corelli and his men never forget their love for life and music, and their cheerful demeanor gradually wins over the islanders. Corelli and Pelagia are drawn to each other. Fearing that the surrendered Italian troops might join anti-Nazi guerrillas, the Nazi German forces attack. In a harrowing scene, captured Italian soldiers are gunned down by German troops in the town square. All perish except Corelli, who is saved by his men’s sacrifice. He is taken to Iannis’s home, where he recovers under Pelagia’s care, before disappearing to evade the Germans.

After the war, peace returns to Kefalonia. Pelagia studies medicine under her father’s guidance, but a major earthquake strikes the island. Previously little-known in Europe, Kefalonia has since become a popular tourist destination, thanks to the book and the film.

Challenges of Adaptation

Since the original novel is a sprawling epic, the film adaptation required alterations and omissions, making some of the story’s settings harder to grasp. To shed light on this, let me tell you about Pelagia’s father, Iannis. He is a doctor who has served the island for years and earned the islanders’ trust—yet he lacks a medical license. One might think of Black Jack, the unlicensed genius doctor, but Iannis is no prodigy. He’s a stubborn, straightforward man who dreams of recording the island’s history but struggles to make progress. When the Italian army orders the islanders to provide lodging due to a shortage of barracks, Iannis fiercely resists but eventually agrees on the condition that they supply scarce medical resources, showcasing his tenacity.

He hopes to train his daughter as a licensed successor, but education on the remote island is limited. Worse still, she seems to be falling for the Italian captain billeted in their home. Many can empathize with his struggles. One standout scene features Iannis earnestly explaining to his daughter—now deeply in love with Corelli—what love and affection truly mean. This moment, brought to life by John Hurt, is not to be missed. Hurt, a seasoned actor known for roles in Oscar-nominated films like Midnight Express and as a crew member in Alien, also played Ollivander in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

The Cast

Nicolas Cage, whose uncle is the famed director Francis Ford Coppola, has starred in numerous films. With his father of Italian descent, he was an ideal fit for Captain Corelli. In the movie, his unit even forms an opera chorus dubbed “La Scala.” These Italian soldiers—drinking, eating, singing, and embracing life despite the war—gradually win the hearts of the occupied islanders. The reason Corelli survives the German machine-gun fire in the square is revealed later in both the film and book, so pay close attention, or you might miss it. For those planning to watch, take note of the scene where bones are uncovered after the earthquake. When Corelli later revisits Greece to see Pelagia, he hesitates upon seeing her with a child but visits the island to lay flowers in memory of a man who died protecting him.

Another key figure is Irene Papas, who plays Mandras’s mother, Drosoula. Born in Corinth, Greece, she rose to prominence in Hollywood in the 1950s and is regarded as one of Greece’s iconic actresses. Fans of The Guns of Navarone or Zorba the Greek might recall her striking, thick eyebrows. In the novel, despite being the mother of Pelagia’s former fiancé, she becomes a trusted confidante—a significant role. Sadly, in the film, her character disappears early on, which is a pity.

Beyond the Tourist Image

Our knowledge of Greece often centers on its ancient ruins and the origins of the Olympics, with little awareness of its later hardships. Toward the film’s end, scenes of modern Greece capture the vibrant lives of its youth, moving beyond its tourist image. These exquisite shots reflect the director’s vision—something to look forward to when watching. In the afterword of the Japanese translation, the translator attributes the book’s UK popularity to romanticism tied to Greece since Lord Byron, the poet who fought in the Greek War of Independence and died there, as well as a longing for Southern Europe’s sunshine.

A Broader Impact

Many have read the novel after watching the film, and it has played a vital role in raising awareness of the tragedy between former allies Germany and Italy. For those yet to see it, I urge you to watch the movie and then dive into the half-century-spanning epic of the original story.