Arpa Colla (1982) User Reviews

Summary of Greek cinema

[rolling_thunder · 8/10 · 9 January 2004]

"Arpa-colla" in Greek literally means "Grab and stick", a phrase used to show something that has been done quickly and therefore isn't good enough. This is what the 2 main heroes of the film are doing. The one is a director(Giorgos) and the other an author(Kostas) with communistic ideas, who has won a prize at a festival. They both want to make a movie for the cinema, guided by the success another Greek movie had and was released at about that period (O anthropos me to garifallo=The man with the carnation, dedicated to the Greek communist, Nicos Belogiannis). Kostas falls in love with Soula, a girl who she found working as a model at a commercial Giorgos was filming and he's dreaming about making her starring at every film he makes. But every idea they have never comes true, because every time they meet someone to whom they tell their idea, they change their mind, and they want to make a totally different movie, ideas varying from political cinema to Greek historical dramas and modern films with motorcycle gangs. Not a bad attempt for the Greek cinema of the early 80's, which starts to wake up from the hibernation of the 70's. There is the pretty good trick with the basic protagonists holding almost every part in their imaginary movies, movies that vary from the Second World War II till modern era with people who belong to motorcycle gangs. I really enjoyed watching it every time I did and I recommend it to everyone who wants to have fun and see ho things in the Greek cinema used to work and maybe still do.