The rhythm and language of the sunny "Mediterranean", like the content of the film, reveal an unrestrained beauty: the language of the shots is classic but not deliberate; the stories of the eight soldiers are rich and distinct, and are closely linked to the big story. . This kind of free and wild energy, plus a bit of Kusturica-style absurdity (or the library itself also has a free and wild flavor) makes the film full of aura. Best foreign language film, well deserved.
Since it's bright and cheerful can be experienced without explanation, let's talk about how "Mediterranean" uses absurdity to paint an anti-war background. In short, the conflicting human nature and Soldier status brings such a comic effect, and the film shows the process of gradually expanding human nature and finally conquering soldier status.
War is always absent in the film, it is represented by a group of skirmishers, and from the beginning, these skirmishers are not monolithic - Guo Da Noventa, who is homesick, has never seen the sea or is seasick. Brothers in the mountains, there is Strazzabosco with a donkey, even as a soldier as a symbol of war, it is not a pure war machine, but a specific person. As a symbol of the war, the skirmishers dragged the Greek island into a state of war at the beginning - even if they only killed chickens and donkeys, even if the sergeant who came along had to repeat the correct slogan. Whether it's a specific person or a non-existent war, these lay the groundwork for the absurd - and soon, the thin war is further diluted.
Is it possible for such a group of people to continue the war? possible. Soldiers who refused to surrender in World War II and continued to fight after the war also existed - Japan's Onoda Hiroro didn't surrender to the Philippine police until 1974. But this does not apply to Italian skirmishers who were not monolithic from the beginning, and soon they were caught off guard by the turbulent daily life - it is difficult for people to be enemies with the environment, especially after losing the soil that nourishes their courage. They began to face their desires, whether it was painting or poetry, love and dance, and began to thrive under the nourishment of peace. The Turkish fishermen not only brought the drowsy smoke, but also stole the last symbol of war - weapons, money. "Same face, same ethnic group" is both history and reality in Greece, where the ethnic composition has always been complex - centuries of Turkish rule, Yugoslavs from the north, etc., because after cutting off contact with yesterday, this Groups of blank people can only blend in, no matter what.
Soldiers are a direct symbol of war, but the scars of war can be seen everywhere - there are few men in the village; Vasilissa itself is a symbol of war scars. Wars and conquests are often accompanied by the looting of the losers by the victors, especially sexual exploitation and oppression - since ancient times, wars have been associated with mass rape and looting of women, and in the patriarchal structure, the losers are dominated by women At the same time, women in defeated countries also faced real sexual exploitation. What's interesting about this film is that the war-bound man doesn't take advantage of his enhanced privileges to run amok in the countryside—the two brothers don't work together to rape the shepherdess, and Strazzabosco doesn't act violently against the woman he's with. The exit of the war in the film is also accompanied by the exit of the male privilege that the war conferred on the victor. Arcadia unleashes almost all desires, yet maintains a delicate balance of peace. It is precisely such a wanton desire that gives the film its vigor—especially when the military uniforms are taken off and the carcass is fully exposed. Even when the men return to the island at the end of the film, Strazzabosco and the woman's husband just exchange glances, as if acknowledging the woman's irrepressible desire. The reason why Kusturica is mentioned is because his films also have such a desire for freedom similar to carnival, like the couple running in the sunflower field. Of course, it is worth mentioning that the film does not seem to have spent too much time depicting Vassilisa's mentality, so her love for Farina is questionable. If the film has a flaw, this is probably the biggest flaw, that is, compared to the male characters. It is said that the female characters are relatively flattened.
The desire to release further expands the absurdity that was revealed at the beginning. When Farina shot and wounded the other soldiers, almost everyone forgave him, the sergeant said, "It's his feelings that hurt you," while the fresco-loving lieutenant watched for a while, worried that the paint was about to dry and quickly Leave. Almost everyone understands the importance of feelings, no matter what. Such mercifulness in subtleties is a huge contrast to their status as soldiers of the fascist regime, creating an absurdly comic effect. When the real soldiers came to pick them up, their dress and behavior had completely integrated into the island, so they were incompatible with the soldiers - and for Farina, he could no longer integrate into the one that only existed in rumors. The outside world is out: Italy is in vain, needs his Italy. An orphan on an isolated Greek island has achieved all the meaning he needs.
The reunion at the end actually goes beyond the scope of many island films, and it is actually difficult to stand out. But this scene in the film announces the downfall of the last idealist - the sergeant was not able to rebuild a great country as he thought, and the war and the brilliant propaganda it created finally crashed in reality.
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