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Captain Corelli's Mandolin Details

2001 DVD Certificate 15.gif
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 10,698 members

In keeping with Hollywood's time-honoured tradition of turning celebrated novels into cinematic spectacles, director John Madden brings Louis de Berniere's acclaimed 1994 work, CORELLI'S MANDOLIN, to life. Set on the Greek island of Cephalonia in 1940, the film tells the story of the beautiful Pelagia (Penelope Cruz), who lives .. Read more

Starring Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz, Penelope Cruz, John Hurt
Director John Madden
Genres Drama, Romance

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Captain Corelli's Mandolin

In keeping with Hollywood's time-honoured tradition of turning celebrated novels into cinematic spectacles, director John Madden brings Louis de Berniere's acclaimed 1994 work, CORELLI'S MANDOLIN, to life. Set on the Greek island of Cephalonia in 1940, the film tells the story of the beautiful Pelagia (Penelope Cruz), who lives with her father, Dr. Iannis (John Hurt) and is engaged to local fisherman, Mandras (Christian Bale). When Mandras leaves the island to fight for his country, Pelagia is left behind to worry and wait for a letter, which never arrives. In the meantime, the Italian army occupies Cephalonia, and Pelagia and Dr. Iannis receive a new visitor into their home. Captain Antonio Corelli (Nicolas Cage), a romantic opera lover with a passion for playing the mandolin, annoys Pelagia with his free-spirited personality, but it is this exact charm that eventually wins her heart. Soon, the two are head-over-heels in love. Mandras's return adds friction to the situation, but when the Germans sweep in and begin to senselessly murder the town's locals, Captain Corelli and Mandras must place their differences aside in order to preserve the island. Exquisitely photographed by cinematographer John Toll, Madden's film boasts impassioned performances by Hurt and legendary actress, Irene Papas.

Starring Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz, Penelope Cruz, John Hurt, Christian Bale, Irene Papas, David Morrissey, Patrick Malahide
Director John Madden
Studio WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 7 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres Drama, Romance
Language English
Hearing-impaired English
Subtitles English
Released DVD: 25 Mar 2002
Production year: 2001
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (6) of Captain Corelli's Mandolin

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  • 2 stars out of 5

    Playing fast and loose with a much-loved novel is not a crime in itself, but Louis de Bernières's surprise bestseller about a Nazi- and Italian-occupied Greek island during the Second World War was so much more than the picture-postcard love story depicted here. Director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) and cinematographer John Toll (Braveheart) certainly fashion a sumptuous holiday brochure out of Cephalonia, but much of the credit for that must go to the island itself. Meanwhile, a sanitised version of the multilayered book (minus the homosexual subplot that actually makes dramatic sense of one strand of the story) plays out like a carnival of dodgy accents. Nicolas Cage's mandolin-plucking Italian is a cartoon, and the overrated Penélope Cruz plays doctor's daughter Pelagia as a sort of Spanish-Greek. (Were no Greek actresses famous or beautiful enough?) Only John Hurt walks away with dignity intact.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • "...The movie shimmers with a bluish-gold luminescence reflected from the turquoise waters of the Ionian sea....A glorious ode to the sun-baked island on which it was filmed..."

    • New York Times
    • Posted 11 Mar 2005

  • Most helpful member's review of Captain Corelli's Mandolin

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  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Another of John Madden's well-crafted films

    I had heard that this came under some criticism when released so, unburdened by having read the book (I'm never sure why a film has to be exactly like the book its based on - the 2 media are so dissimilar), I thought I'd have a look. Despite being set in wartime, it was a gently moving film that not only built on the 'will they, won't they fall in love' routine but also the 'will they, won't they actually survive'! Scenically beautiful and with the battle scenes accurate but restrained (but why do shell bursts have to have a red flame/oily black smoke component?) the love story gently evolved - its slow pace redolent of the years that elapsed. Penelope Cruz was the epitome of how a woman can suddenly become so beautiful with just a smile and a look, Nicolas Cage was all contentment and passion and John Hurt sage-like and wise as Cruz's father. It was through the movie that I recognised some of the music tones and it was only at the final credits did I realise that, of course, it was another John Madden film - beautifully crafted, superbly directed and well acted.

      • Bob Harrold from Stotfold
      • Posted 10 Mar 2005 10:31

  • Most recent members' review of Captain Corelli's Mandolin

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  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Captain Corellis Mandolin

    I was really dissapointed with this film I had read the book and was looking forward to seeing the film. However, the most important parts of the story had been cut out of the film. The bits that were missing made the story special. The film seemed rushed. Would not recommend reading the book before watching the film.

    Although Nicholas Cage is fantastic.

    Sound track good.

      • jacob2 from West Sussex
      • Posted 14 Oct 2005 19:18

  • News and features

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    Universal has reportedly appointed Last King of Scotland director Kevin Macdonald to shoot Bobby Fischer Goes To War, the story of the troubled chess grandmaster's 1972 world championship match with Boris Spassky. Industry magazine Variety says the film's script has been adapted by Captain Corelli's Mandolin writer Shawn Slovo from the book by David Edmonds and John Eidinow. Bobby Fischer was a prodigious yet often erratic talent, who defeated Spassky in Reykjavik to become the only American to Read more

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10,698 Member ratings
  • 100
861
  • 90
710
  • 80
1,636
  • 70
1,608
  • 60
2,065
  • 50
1,217
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1,003
  • 30
654
  • 20
604
  • 10
340

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      • In keeping with Hollywood's time-honoured tradition of turning celebrated novels into cinematic spectacles, director John Madden brings Louis de Berniere's acclaimed 1994 work, CORELLI'S MANDOLIN, to ...