Trilogia: To livadi pou dakryzei (The Weeping Meadow) (2004)

65% of critics liked it
(26 reviews)
89% of users liked it
(1,314 ratings)

Master Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos wrote and directed this downbeat look at his nation's often blighted history, as seen through the eyes of an unfortunate young couple. In 1919, a band of Greek refugees who had found a home in Odessa are forced to return to their homeland following the… More Master Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos wrote and directed this downbeat look at his nation's often blighted history, as seen through the eyes of an unfortunate young couple. In 1919, a band of Greek refugees who had found a home in Odessa are forced to return to their homeland following the Russian Revolution, and they settle in Thessaloniki, a forbidding riverside village where few wish to dwell. Eleni is a youngster who arrives in Thessaloniki and is taken in by Spyros (Vassilis Kolovos), one of the village leaders. While Eleni is raised as a member of the family alongside Alexis, Spyros' son, the two find themselves attracted to one another as they grow older, and they pledge to someday marry. By the age of 16, Eleni (Alexandra Aidini) becomes pregnant by Alexis (Nikos Poursadinis), and she gives birth to twins, which Spyros puts up for adoption. However, after the death of his wife, Spyros declares that he will make the now-grown Eleni his new spouse. Eleni and Alexis see no choice but to run away together, and they join up with a band of traveling musicians led by Nikos (Giorgos Armenis). But an angry Spyros declares that he will find the runaways, while Eleni and Alexis attempt to stay one step ahead of him while searching for their lost children. Theo Angelopoulos announced that The Weeping Meadow will be the first film in a trilogy which will represent his final works. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 58 min.
Directed By: Theodoros Angelopoulos
Genres: Romance, Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Oct 8, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Dec 19, 2006
Studio: New Yorker Films

Critic Reviews

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
The Weeping Meadow doesn't offer quite enough sugar for its harsh medicine to go down easily.
Richard James Havis, Hollywood Reporter
It's a typically poetic film, rich in powerful imagery, which sees a bitter personal tragedy unfold against the major events of 20th century Greece.
Ronnie Scheib, Chicago Reader
We get a distractingly vapid couple who tend to drain the emotional resonance of these extraordinary, ever-shifting tableaux.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Angelopoulos has created a memorably sweeping survey, but even an epic needs some moments of genuine intimacy.
Dana Stevens, New York Times
The first in a projected trilogy by the Greek director Theo Angelopoulos, The Weeping Meadow is a beautiful and devastating meditation on war, history and loss.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Not for all tastes, it's recommended for discerning viewers.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
The film is simultaneously simple and opaque, and what it lacks is anything that illuminates the world we live in.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
The movie is fiercely austere; no human emotion leaks out and the characters are as blank as chess-pieces.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It retains that Angelopoulos magic in storytelling.
, Empire Magazine
Visually, this can't be bettered, but the superficial storyline and cypher-like characters are undeniably disappointing.
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
Churns like classic tragedy while its pace is set by Angelopoulos' trademark, spooky portentousness.
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Though he's foggy on the specifics, Angelopoulos makes the tides of history felt through each painterly frame.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
A serious historical epic that boldly remanages the usual priorities of that form, and a fractured family saga that, at least in my experience, accumulates power as it continues.
Kevin Lally, Film Journal International
If you can ride out its rhythms, you'll come away with some indelible images.
Keith Phipps, AV Club
This is the first of an announced trilogy, but it already feels as long as the 20th century itself.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
There are also moments of such breathtaking grace and artistry that you'd be forgiven for thinking you're watching the most beautiful movie ever made.
Kent Turner, Film-Forward.com
It's like looking at a technically-polished painting, but not being fully drawn in.