ISLAND OF THE BRAVE (THE)


View at Tainiothiki tis Ellados
  • Genre: Feature Film
  • Année: 1959
  • Description: Manolis, an officer of the Greek Army (Alekos Alexandrakis) arrives on Crete, after its fall to the Germans. In collaboration with partisans and allied English saboteurs, under the leadership of captain John (Takis Christoforidis) he takes part in sabotaging German facilities. He meets Maria (Aliki Georgouli), who takes part in the Resistance. His former love, Dona, (Tzeni Karezi) seals some secret documents from the German commander (Lykourgos Kallergis), who wants to marry her. Following treason by a Greek informer (Artemis Matsas), the girl’s act is uncovered and she is led to the firing squad, along with her comrade Nikolas (Gikas Biniaris), who worked as a barman at the cabaret where Dona also worked. Finally, the young officer punishes the informer and manages to escape to Cairo along with his new sweetheart.
    1. OPENING TITLES Opening titles )
    10. MANOLIS’ S PROMISE TO MARIA Manolis and Maria talk in the dark, outside the hut. Maria tells him that he taught her that the fight is to be placed above their own lives. Manolis promises to take her with him wherever he goes. He feels no regret for taking her with him. She is a great girl. (OUTSIDE THE PARTISAN'S HUT)
    11. THE PARTISANS’ SABOTAGE Maria and the six saboteurs hide in the dark. They find themselves by the harbor. Maria approaches a guard and asks for a cigarette. She begins talking to him. His name is Hans, he is a humanitarian and a philhellene. He has a family in Munich and hates the war. In the meantime, the saboteurs go to the agreed places. They get rid of the guards and place explosives on the boats. Everything goes as planned. The men find themselves at the original meeting point. They change clothes and leave. Manolis and Maria leave to send a message to the headquarters by radio. (THE HARBOR)
    12. MANOLIS’S SECRET MISSION As the partisans leave, explosions begin at the harbor. The boats are on fire. Manolis and Maria hide in a building with arches. Alerts and patrols by German soldiers are heard. Maria announces to Manolis that be his side she is not afraid. Together they run and approach a barn. There is no danger there. Manolis lights a lamp and ask Maria for the radio. After finishing his communication he approaches her tenderly and confesses that he didn’t come from Cairo to Crete only for the sabotage, but also for a great secret mission, that will determine many things. There is a girl, a former lover of his, who «is friends» with the Germans. He is to collaborate with her. Maria, without a bit of jealousy, promises that she will wait for him at the barn. They kiss again. ( A BUILDING WITH ARCHES - A BARN)
    13. ΤHE PARTISANS’ FEAST On a mountainous area, a Cretan feast takes place, with lambs on the spit, wine and gunshots. At the accompaniment of the lyre and the lute, the inhabitants begin to dance. Among them are three Englishmen, rather cheerful. Lefteris seems a bit surly, while captain Giorgis talks to John about the glory and continuity of Greek history. (A MOUNTAINOUS LOCATION)
    14. THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE ENGLISHMEN AND THE GERMANS A German motorcade stops on the street and the soldiers begin to run against the village. A signal announces the presence of the Germans and the feast stops. The partisans hide, while captain John proposes to call Sifakas and his men, for support. A fight takes place between the partisans and the Germans. The fight is of an uncertain outcome, sometimes man to man, yet the Germans do suffer great losses. The appearance of captain Sifakas’s men gives an end to the fight. «Bravo, my braves!…Go ahead, boys!» The Germans flee, leaving several dead behind. The partisans collect the trophies and their dead. (A MOUNTAINOUS LOCATION)
    15. AT THE CABARET – DONA’S SONG We are in a underground cabaret. German officers, men in suits, glasses full of champagne, an orchestra playing exotic melodies. Manolis approaches the barman. The latter, who seems to know him, asks him not to go to the singer’s dressing room. The place is a trap. At one of the tables, a Greek informer notifies his colleagues of Manolis’s coming. Without knowing him, he considers him a suspect. After an oriental dance by an exotic dancer, major Erhardt appears majestically. The barman tells Manolis that the major is in love with Dona, who is ready to sing on the stage. The German seems to enjoy her song, «Don’t ask the sky». Dona is surprised when she sees Manolis seated at the bar. The song ends and the girl leaves applauded by patrons. (AN UNDERGOUND CABARET)
    16. MANOLIS ASKS FOR DONA’S HELP Dona goes in her dressing room and lights a cigarette. Manolis comes, he is on a special mission. The German major Erhardt, who is in love with her, has in his hands the secret envelope 183/38 containing the sketches of the submarine dams of the Aegean as well as Romel’s maps. On the following evening, when Erhardt plans to host a reception at his house, Dona is to steal the envelope and bring it to Manolis, at the cabaret. Dona says that Erhardt proposed to her and she accepted. She seems disappointed that she is separated from Manolis. He confesses to her that she was once very important for him but that now the resistance is more important than everything else. Dona refuses to help him, but Manolis insists that he will wait for her – and the envelope - on the following day. (DONA'S DRESSING ROOM)
    17. ERHARDT’S RECEPTION Erhardt’s reception: officers in German uniforms and women in long gowns dance a Tango Notturno. Erhardt dances with Dona and tells her that tonight he awaits her answer to his proposal. Within two weeks he is to leave for Berlin, as all German officers on Crete are to be replaced. (ERHARDT'S HOUSE)
    18. AFTER THE RECEPTION The guests have left. Erhardt and Dona are by themselves, drinking heavily. Dona looks at his desk. The major seems both drunk and in love. He embraces Donna and kisses her passionately. (ERHARDT'S HOUSE)
    19. DONA BRINGS MANOLIS THE ENVELOPE Nikolas, the barman, is ready to close the cabaret. Manolis keeps waiting, shaking his head in disappointment. Nikolas prompts him to leave. We hear steps at the entrance. Dona walks in, holding the envelope Manolis asked for. He tells her that they will arrest her if she stays, but Dona refuses to follow him. Their paths diverge and Manolis has to complete his mission. They kiss and she greets him goodbye. (THE CABARET)
    2. THE GERMANS’ ATTACK AGAINST CRETE Cretan landscapes. A narrator informs us of the eventful and bloody history of Crete, where a burning page of modern international history took place. It is May 20, 1941. The Germans attack Crete. We watch shots from the air and aerial battles. Parachutists fall from German planes. We watch battles in the open air. The narrator comments on the fights of the Cretans to keep their land free. Nevertheless, the island of the brave is under German occupation. We watch the course of captive soldiers. "Crete is occupied, but the Cretan soul flies free up on the mountains and the gorges. As it never bent in over five thousand years, now it raises its proud head". (CRETAN LANDSCAPES)
    20. MANOLIS FINDS MARIA The Greek informer and a group of German soldiers chase Manolis, the suspect, in the night. Manolis manages to escape. He runs to the barn and Maria opens the door. He tells her the story of the successful mission, thanks to Dona’s intervention. They embrace and Manolis tells her that he loves her. (STREETS - THE BARN)
    21. DONA AND NIKOLAS ARE NOT AFRAID Dona and Nikolas are in the empty cabaret. They have a drink and Nikolas talks to her about the war and his ill premonition regarding the outcome of things. Nevertheless, they decide that they are ready for everything and that they are not afraid. (THE CABARET)
    22. ΤHE FOLLOWING EVENING AT THE CABARET On the following night, at the cabaret, Dona sings "Don’t ask the sky". Sat opposite her, with a frozen gaze, major Erhardt waits for the song to end. Nikolas and Dona try to remain calm. (THE CABARET)
    23. THE GERMANS INTERROGATE NIKOLAS AND DONA In an old castle that is used as a prison, Nikolas is being tortured. The Greek informer displays all his sadism. Nikolas remains silent and spits on the informer’s face, calling him a traitor. Erhardt walks in and asks Nikolas to tell him about the envelope that Dona stole, promising him a monetary reward. «The Greeks die, but they don’t sell their souls», is Nikolas’s reply. Erhardt is mad and orders to bring Dona in. Dona, dressed in black, looks at Nikolas. Their gazes meet. Both of them are determined, without a trace of fear. Dona admits that she stole the envelope and that they shouldn’t punish an innocent man. He hits her and asks her to give him the envelope back. He wants to save her. Nevertheless, the envelope is away. She can no longer do anything. She is not afraid of the consequences and is ready for everything. (AN OLD CASTLE)
    24. MANOLIS AND LEFTERIS WANT TO GET BACK AT THE INFORMER Lefteris tries to convince Maria not to leave. Their talk takes place on a hillside. Maria replies that her place is next to Manolis and that the heart cannot be shared. Manolis comes close to them and tells them that he is to leave in ten days, together with Maria, from the Monastery of Preveli. Lefteris, saddened, tells him that whoever betrayed him and Dona has to pay for it. (A HILLSIDE)
    25. THE EXECUTION OF DONA AND NIKOLAS The execution of Dona and Nikolas. They face bravely the firing squad and do not wish to be blindfolded. (THE EXECUTION SPOT)
    26. ERHARDT’S SUICIDE A Wermacht officer accuses Erhardt sharply. When he leaves, the major takes out his gun and commits suicide. (ERHARDT'S OFFICE)
    27. THE INFORMER’S ARREST AND CONVICTION Evening. The informer, terrified, realizes that he is being spied on. As he turns a corner on the street, Manolis’s hand closes his mouth and brings a knife to his throat. On the mountain, the partisans hold a popular court. The informer, trembling, swears that he is innocent. The accusers have a lot to remember: Dona, Nikolas, the photograph of Manolis who is wanted. The court sentences him unanimously to death. (A DARK STRET - MOUNTAINOUS AREA)
    28. THE PARTISANS LEAVE FOR THE MONASTERY It is the evening of Good Friday and we watch the ceremony of the Epitaph on a mountainous village of Crete. Among the crowd, the three English and Greek partisans leave, along with Maria. They signal on a house’s door. Konstantis and his wife, Eirini, await them. They are their contact with the Australians who are waiting near the Monastery. A caique will take them to the open sea, where a submarine is waiting for them. They offer them tsikoudia and toast on “freedom”. They leave. They have to walk for three hours in the dark. As they walk through the village streets, the cry of a German terrifies them. The German guard addresses Maria who leads the way. The others hide on time. Maria recognizes Hans, the philhellene guard of the harbor, whom she had met on her first mission. He has lost his family in the bombardments. He shows his sympathy for the Greeks. Maria greets him on a friendly tone. (A CRETAN VILLAGE)
    29. THE PARTISANS ARRIVE AT THE MONASTERY The partisans arrive at the monastery. The prior welcomes them and is supportive of Maria who wants to go. The fishing boat is to take them from the rocks. The prior has taken care of everything in order to avoid the Germans. Suddenly, the noise of a German patrol is heard. The prior helps them to escape and hands Maria a cross as an amulet. Thanks to Manolis’ bravery, they manage to escape from the monastery’s back door without losses. (The Monastery of Preveli)
    3. THE PARTISANS ATTACK THE GERMANS Mountainous rocky landscape. A group of partisans, hidden in the rocks, watches the enemy. Manolis and captain-Giorgis watch, with the binoculars, a German motorcade approaching. As the cars of the enemy arrive at the ambush location, the partisans begin their attack. The Germans suffer great losses. (Cretan landscapes)
    30. THE GERMAN AMBUSH AND LEFTERIS’ DEATH Before dawn, they arrive at the place where they are to meet the Australians. However, they fall victims to a German ambush. In the battle that follows, Lefteris is fatally injured. Before he dies he manages to say a few words to Maria.The Germans are annihilated thanks to the intervention of the Australians, who arrive on time. The allies embrace and bend over the dead body of the Cretan partisan. (THE MEETING POINT WITH AUSTRALIANS)
    31. THE ARRIVAL OF THE CAIQUE At dawn, the caique arrives to take the group to the submarine. They signal from the rocks. The caique sails in the open sea, as the sun rises. (A CRETAN LANDSCAPE BY THE SEA)
    4. GERMAN RETALIATION AGAINST A CRETAN VILLAGE The Germans retaliate against a Cretan village. The soldiers lead the men of the village violently to the village square. Before the men, a German officer asks pressingly where the partisans are. He loses his temper. The men, led by brave priest Antonis, refuse to speak, despite the threats. There are partisans everywhere. With a great deal of bravery they sing «When shall we see clear skies of freedom again?» before the firing squad. The men of the firing squad are ordered to fire. The men fall dead, while the women are not allowed by the Germans to approach the dead. (A CRETAN VILLAGE)
    5. THE PARTISANS WAIT FOR THE SUBMARINE Captain Giorgis’ men. Someone says that there are guards on the peak of the mountain. Manolis informs them that a submarine with Englishmen is to arrive. Although it is the middle of the day, he is to await their signal in the open sea. The partisans rest for a while. (CREATAN LANDSCAPES)
    6. ΤHE BURNED VILLAGE We watch scenes from a burned Cretan village, in the context of the German retaliation. Women, elderly and children run and cry out loud, in the ruins and the fire. (A CRETAN VILLAGE)
    7. THE PARTISANS TAKE MARIA ALONG The partisans see the smoke. Manolis thinks it is a good idea to go and find out what is going on. He takes along a comrade. In a while, they meet a group of old people, women and children who are leaving the burning village. The two partisans approach them carefully. They learn that in addition to priest Antonis the Germans also killed another twenty men and took fifty hostages. Then they meet beautiful Maria, the daughter of priest Antonis, who helps an elderly woman, propping her up. Maria has no place to go to. He begs them to take her along. She wants to help in the resistance. After a lot of thought, Manolis asks her to follow them. (A CRETAN VILLAGE)
    8. THE ARRIVAL OF THE ENGLISHMEN The English submarine emerges from the sea. The partisans watch it with binoculars. From the hillside, Manolis signals. Three English soldiers step on the shore, transporting a sack full of ammunition. Captain John, who knows Manolis, leads the team. Manolis introduces the men to one another. Partisans and Englishmen hug. «Let’s hope that you will bring freedom to us». Singing a rizitiko, they take the road to the village. (A CRETAN SHORE)
    9. THE PARTISAN’S PLAN The three partisans (Μanolis, captain Giorgis and Lefteris) are in a hut, along with the three Englishmen. Captain John unfolds the map of the harbor on the table and explains the plan: they are to explode the boats using mines. The sabotage has to look like the work of commandos, in order to avoid retaliation. Maria, despite their reservations, offers to take care of the first guard, pretending to be a common woman at the harbor. The undertaking is to last no more than twelve minutes. (THE PARTISAN'S HUT)
  • Mots-clés: ΕΠΙΤΑΦΙΟΣ ΜΟΥΣΙΚΑ ΟΡΓΑΝΑ ΚΑΜΠΑΡΕ Β’ ΠΑΓΚΟΣΜΙΟΣ ΠΟΛΕΜΟΣ ΚΡΗΤΗ / GOOD FRIDAY PROCESSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CABARET WORLD WAR II CRETE / ΕΠΙΤΑΦΙΟΣ ΜΟΥΣΙΚΑ ΟΡΓΑΝΑ ΚΑΜΠΑΡΕ Β’ ΠΑΓΚΟΣΜΙΟΣ ΠΟΛΕΜΟΣ ΚΡΗΤΗ / GOOD FRIDAY PROCESSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CABARET WORLD WAR II CRETE
  • Fournisseur: Tainiothiki tis Ellados
  • Société de production: OLYMPIA FILM
  • Director: DADIRAS DIMITRIS
  • Recueil: Ψηφιοποιημένες ελληνικές ταινίες μυθοπλασίας