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Greece 2004
Directed by
Pantelis Voulgaris
128 minutes
Rated PG

Reviewed by
Sharon Hurst
3.5 stars

Brides

Synopsis: In 1922 a ship leaves Turkey carrying 700 mail-order brides from Greece, Turkey and Russia to marry men they have never seen in the USA. Among them is Niki (Victoria Haralabidou), a Greek seamstress, who is going to salvage her family's honor by marring Prodromos, a man whom her sister had previously rejected. On the same ship is American freelance war photographer Norman Harris (Damian Lewis) returning home from a failed career and a failed marriage. When they meet and fall in love, some serious decisions must be made.

Brides which is executive-produced by Martin Scorsese, is an exceptionally good-looking film with superb production values and most interesting subject matter. It immediately establishes a terrific sense of place and time in the three opening sequences: wonderful scenes of Smyrna in Turkey, Samothrace in Greece, and Odessa in Russia establish the women's backgrounds and the life that they will leave, never seeing homeland or family again. The dehumanisation of the women is poignantly portrayed; they are given numbers and herded on deck like cattle. Once on board, the class lines are clear - while the rich frolic above decks, the woman are subjected to squalid conditions below. To add to their woes, a sleazy Georgian, Karaboulat (Stephen Berkoff), appears to be trafficking some of the girls to the ship's crew, although this is not developed clearly enough.

Because of Niki's trade she is in demand for the fancy dress costumes for the upper class, and as she goes to their area of the boat, her friendship with Norman grows and deepens. Thus begins the star-crossed lovers theme, not only people from totally differing cultures, but also a woman who is utterly bound to family honor. Haralabidou (recently starring in the play Stuff Happens in Melbourne) is striking in her performance as Niki and I would be hoping to see quite a bit more of her in film. She has a strong screen presence, combining quiet dignity with spirited independence. Lewis to me seems slightly miscast, and although there is a terrific chemistry between the two leads, although at times (perhaps due to the script) there is an almost self-conscious romanticism. Similarly a tendency to melodrama occasionally intrudes, as well as a number of somewhat unclear plot points and predictable moments.

The defining image of the film is the women in their wedding veils and dresses. Norman is so smitten by this image of desolate faces in their virginal dresses that he decides to photograph each and every one of them. These glorious scenes are just some of many that stay in one's mind long after the film's plot has faded. People who have left their homeland will no doubt relate strongly to this film. Along with its visual richness, its strength is certainly the sense of sadness and loss it evokes and the compassionate exploration of these women's plight, the film managing to combine the personal experience with the broader historical perspective.

 

 

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