Landscape in the Mist

A quest for an unknown father becomes an odyssey into adulthood for two illegitimate Greek children, traveling alone the length of their country in a hopeless attempt to trace the whereabouts of a man they know only from the bedside fairy tales told by their mother. The journey is often grim and brutal, but is also filled by occasional magic, transforming their search into a sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter reflection of childhood mysteries and adolescent pain.

The reticent screenplay and slow, deliberate rhythms will likely be tedious to anyone with a TV-damaged attention span, but the same understated detachment can sometimes have a devastating impact, for example during a rape scene made all the more chilling for taking place just out of view, and in total silence. Discriminating viewers able to avoid nodding off into their popcorn will find it a film of rare beauty, with an emotional resonance to match the often haunting imagery.

A road movie about two children (Voula and Alexandre) searching for their father who is supposed to live in Germany. Their obsession for this father figure will take them to the boundaries between childhood and adolescence.

"Landscape in the Mist" was Angelopoulos' first film to be distributed in the United States, being distributed by New Yorker Films. This also happens to be the first of his films that I have seen, and one of the first Greek films, for that matter. (If I have seen more than ten Greek films I would be surprised.) The concept is great, but what really sells the film is some of the strong imagery. The most gripping part of the entire film was when a helicopter came and lifted something out of the water... it was captivating and seemed to possess far more meaning than it possibly should have.

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.

(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.

Seen the movie in HK International Film Festival over 16 years ago and still could not stop crying whenever I think of the kids in the movie. Be prepare for a sad story. Yet, the whole movie was filmed so artistically and many scenes are so creative (esp. at the age of the production.) This is the only movie still linger in my brain from time to time. Still miss the kids in the movie and wish to be there to get them out of the difficult situations. It is the power of the movie, the power of the director/writer, the little actress and actor. No more description can replace the movie itself. To fill up lines - being a mom of 2 now after the years, I miss the kids in the movie even more.