Landschaft im Nebel

(1988) Landscapes In The Mist/ Topio stin omihli (In Greek with English subtitles) DRAMA/ ART HOUSE

Co-produced, co-written and directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos which the tone that is similar Michelangelo Antonioni's "L'Avventura" but there's a lack of rhythm or flow in terms of the structure centering on a couple of children going on an odyssey in search of their real father they had never met. There are way too many pause shots of them standing around doing nothing walking along the highway which can be metaphorically confusing and can frustrate the average impatient viewer, and it is those scenes that makes this 124 minutes quite long to watch. I never liked this film as I initially saw it, but as a result of reading and hearing other peoples interpretations I have grown to accept it. This is the third of three films of Angelopoulos's 'Silent Trilogy', even though they still can be watched without the others being seen. The other two are "Voyage to Cythera" released in 1983 and then "The Beekeeper" released in 1986.

To me, this is one of the greatest movies of all time. Art and a very touching and interesting story combine each other and create this masterpiece with some unforgettable scenes, images and a mesmerizing cinematography. At the beginning, we do not see the mother of the little sisters, only hear her voice. While watching this scene, I thought that it is to make us feel that the sisters are lonely, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about them. In another scene, the sisters visit a man who is probably one of their relatives. However, he looks disturbed when he sees them. The Petrifying truck scene is a story itself. This scene is horrible in terms of content, but enchanting in terms of cinema. And sharp realism. If there is a flaw in the movie, it is the final. It was obscure and not stunning as the rest of the movie. I mean the scene takes place at night. It could have been a bit different, less obscure. Instead of commenting the end of the movie, some say that it is one of the finals that everyone draws their own conclusion, but for such a content or story, it does not seem a good idea. By the way, always, especially critics say this is a story of getting conscious or growing in wisdom, if a movie is about a little girl or boy. Well, this is not actually, the movie is much more than that and much more different. And as you guess, no cliché. The older sister is conscious anyway. She is aware of everything like an adult, even if she sometimes falls. The both sisters are very courageous and at the same time naive. I wanted to help them in the times they need. However, the weather is cold, desolate ways. Unsafe and risky. The vehicles pass them carelessly and don't stop. Probably the best Angelopoulos movie.

I saw this movie when it was playing in Berkeley in 1990. This is one of the most beautiful and haunting films I have ever seen. Filled with scenes of mythic beauty and magical realism. It is, on the surface, about two siblings search for their father, but it is also about the search for something both less obvious and more universal. It haunted my dreams for months and some of the images in this film have stayed with me to this day. If you are of a philosophical bent and are open to the experience, I believe you will enjoy this film very much.

A journey is often the best way to find yourself, even if you are looking for something else. Greek director Theo Angelopoulos' film traces two runaway children – 11-year-old Voula (Tania Palaiologou) and her five- year-old brother Alexandros (Michalis Zeke) – as they search for a fictive father their mother made up stories about. On the road, they learn the realities of life – cruelty, violence and the crude struggle for survival, but also friendship and the first stirrings of romance. In a particularly startling scene, joy and sorrow are revealed simultaneously as a horse dies before their eyes, even as a marriage is mirthfully celebrated nearby. In another, the hand of a statue pulled out of the water could symbolise fragmentation, among several other things. In the end, the quest is hopeless. It's a desperate search for value, for meaning, for that indistinct dream you cling on to which gives life a sense of purpose.

Landscape in the Mist is the tale of two Greek siblings (a girl and a boy) who one day decide to travel to Germany to search for his unknown father. Fifteen minutes into the film we learn that the father in question, doesn't real exist. In fact, we also learn from the children' uncle (her mother's brother) that it all has been a lie as the children are the result of different love affairs. In most conventional movies, this early discovery would ruin the plot, hence the rest of film, but here it becomes the turning point into the children' odyssey since it fuels up their desire to meet his father. From that towards, the film shows us thew siblings mixed up in the raw atmosphere of the adult world, surrounded by bleach landscapes and a misty never-ending who serves at the only witness for the children descend into adulthood. There, in the battlefield of an unknown world, our main characters encounter many challenges, but they all together manage the constant menace of a number of difficult situations, thanks in a part by a good natured youngster named Oreste. However, he is not always present for the children (due to their constant moving) and at the end, one has the feeling that after all, they are alone to face their fate; which in my opinion reflects the paradox of a new born child.

Landscape in the Mist is a piece of art, a masterpiece so well crafted that makes think about it even if you haven't watch it in years. It so powerful and yet so sad, like a misty sky in a rainy day. HIGHLY RECOMMENDABLE. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE