One of the foremost Proponents of Greek Cinema, Theo Angelopoulos stands alone!
The work of this visionary should be studied for many reasons which don’t have anything to do with the medium but with the general history and culture of Greece as a nation. Through the course of his storied career Theo Angelopoulos has managed to weave stories through temporality and the bleak and harsh truths of Greek culture, its modern interpretation and people. Angelopoulos often works with the same motifs in his works and often includes many crises and themes within subtext and in his singular visual style often refer to the long history of Greek culture cross pollinating with Greeks current situation. This list is a collection of his work right from the nascent stages right up to his passing away in the 21st century, Theo Angelopoulos is one of the most celebrated authors in the medium and has worked with everybody from the Greatest star of Italian cinema, Marcello Mastriani to one of the most understated German Actor Bruno Ganz. His language has shaped the medium and particular mise-en-scene, the way he constructed shots and choreographed them will make the viewer automatically feel they are in the hand of a master.
The most well-known work in the filmography of Theo Angelopoulos, eternity and a day is a ballad of lost love and old age. The work is constructed around time jumps, and constantly shifts from an Older Greece to present day. The Protagonist is an old man whose perspective follows throughout the narrative and his relationship with a lost child and his long deceased wife. The landscape of Greece is very visible and the work is a visual treat along with hauntingly beautiful music. The work won the artist the coveted Golden Palm.
This work can be easily called Angelopoulos’ best work in terms of image, the narrative chronicles a tale of two young children who run away from home and travel throughout the Greek mainland, in search of their lost father. The work has such a sombre yet dark undertone to it that the visual complexity and shot choreography only adds to the tone of the work. This work is also special as it has appearances from characters that were seen in his previous work, called Travelling Players. This film has an iconic scene where a hand is lifted out of water, this is a clear reference to Greek History.
