All's fair in love and war

Vivek Fernandes

'Love is what is left when the feeling of being in love burns out.'

With a script rich in syrupy dialogues like the above mentioned line, Captain Corelli's Mandolin is all about love.

Our tale begins in the picturesque Greek island of Cephallonia in 1940. Life is beautiful in this peaceful town with a tragic past.

Pelagia (Penelope Cruz), our ambitious heroine, is besotted with a simple fisherman Mandras (Christian Bale). But her father Dr Iannis (John Heard) thinks Mandras is unsuitable for his daughter.

As the clouds of WWII loom on the horizon, this paradise is in danger of being lost to Fascist Benito Mussolini's men. Mandras goes off to war after Pelagia and he are engaged. He promises to write but despite the hundreds of letters Pelagia sends him, she receives no reply.

Meanwhile, Mussolini's men, led by Captain Antonio Corelli (Nicolas Cage), arrive to occupy the land. Being members of the opera society, his regiment would rather make music than war. Every now and again, the soldiers break into a Puccini aria for their Captain Corelli always finds some reason to sing.

After initial setbacks, the soldiers befriend the townsfolk. Captain Corelli who makes the Iannis' residence his home, is smitten by the beautiful and intelligent Pelagia. She on the other hand is torn between her love for the Captain and the vows she made to Mandras earlier.

She does finally return his love but before a happy ending, the war, quite unexpectedly, takes a terrifying twist. The Germans arrive and the picture perfect island turns into blazing hell. And the Captain and Pelagia must part.

Seven years later, the battle quells but happy ending is still not in sight. It does come about but by then the film becomes too tedious a watch.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin hinges on the romantic chemistry of the lead pair but the Cruz-Cage equation bombs. Cage's brawl coupled with the put-on Italian-English accent make him sound rather absurd. But as the commander the 33rd regiment of the infantry, he seems earnest enough. Cruz, with her black tresses and floral-print frocks, is not the woman on top; pretty unspectacular.

John Hurt, as the compassionate, irreverent doctor fits in well but Irene Pappas (The Guns Of Navarone), as Mandras' mother is a shrill caricature.

Director John Madden (Shakespeare In Love) treats the scenes of daily Cephallonian life with panache. But he's less than graceful with personal relationships.

However, the real star is Oscar-winning cinematographer John Toll, who captures the idyllic beauty of the island as each frame seems to be straight out of a travel brochure.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin is no Saving Private Ryan nor is it The English Patient. But then again, it is more meaningful than the popcorn entertainer Pearl Harbor.

CREDITS:
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz, Christian Bale, David Morrissey, John Hurt, Irene Papas, Vicky Maragaki
Director: John Madden
Producers: Kevin Loader, Mark Huffam, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Louis de Bernieres
Screenwriter: Shawn Slovo
Cinematographer: John Toll
Composer: Stephen Warbeck