Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow DVD, 2003

Over the last few decades, Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos has established himself as maker of magisterial dramas portraying the history of his homeland throughout the 20th century. His latest, Trilogy: Weeping Meadow, is a visually sumptuous and dramatically intense tale of two lovers during the 1920s. Eleni and Alexis elope in the opening scenes, take on the lives of refugees, and attempt to establish a home in a country torn apart by the invading Red Army.
Taking this archetypical story rooted in history, Angelopoulos stages some of the most astonishing set pieces of his career - a glowing, luminescent theatre honeycombed with immigrant tents; the devastating floodwaters that slowly submerge an entire village; musical performances alternating between community celebration and political protest. The tragic narrative is relayed through episodes in the lives of its protagonists, gracefully tracing their exile through iconic tableaux. Yet within its ambitious visual scope, the film never loses sight of the private world of its characters, their losses and pains, hopes and discoveries.

Doug Cummings on 7th July 2005
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