Critic Reviews

• Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

  There are some visually striking and dramatically effective moments in this film about two children who leave home for Germany in search of their father, but the 126 minutes seemed to last forever.

• Geoff Andrew, Time Out

  If the overall tone is bleak in its portayal of betrayals, loneliness and disillusionment, Angelopoulos' assured control of mood, Giorgos Arvanitis' superb camerawork, and the kids' glowing performances provide ample pleasures.

• Stephen Holden, New York Times

  There are sights in the film that once seen cannot be forgotten.

• Hal Hinson, Washington Post

  To say that the Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos is a movie poet doesn't mean that the poetry isn't patience-trying or mediocre.

• Desson Thomson, Washington Post

  Angelopoulos observes this youthful epic with seasoned restraint.

• , TV Guide's Movie Guide

  Unfortunately, Angelopoulos' conceptual grip is so vise-like that these two never seem to break out into anything resembling the spontaneous behavior of kids.

• Fernando F. Croce, Slant Magazine

  Pensive, tender, unforgettable. The only film so far where Angelopoulos's traveling camera and stretched takes connect with emotions other than self-regard.

• Fernando F. Croce, Slant Magazine

  What keeps the film from succumbing to the same orgy of artistic self-fondling is Angelopoulos's feeling for the characters as people rather than pawns.

• , Film4

  Superb camerawork and radiant performances from the two leads illuminate this dark odyssey.

• Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

  It is meant to haunt us.

• Steve Davis, Austin Chronicle

  You appreciate its artistry, but it's a dispassionate appreciation.

• Chris Hicks, Deseret News, Salt Lake City

  There are rich rewards here, and the patient moviegoer looking more for art than plot will feel rewarded.

Read all 12 critic reviews