This is a film of mood and enigma, that will please some and infuriate others.
The main character, Eva, played by Czech actress Eva Sitta, seems lost, having run away from the dullness of Australia and her marriage there, but unwilling to return to the Communist repression of her home country. She accepts the warm enthusiasm of the Greek artist, played by veteran Greek actress Irene Papas, while remaining a closed book, full of shy smiles and secrets. It's intriguing at first but a little tiresome by the end.
The other characters also remain somewhat underdeveloped, and we don't know much apart from their surface by the end. Although the film captures the beauty of the island, and the warmth of the villagers who care for these women, in the end the drama is slow, and sometimes confusing.
Chris Haywood, who plays a helpful Greek mute with convincing gusto, is the only major Australian presence in the film, as Norman Kaye, who plays either an Australian or an Englishman, only appears for a minute or so to mumble some inconsequential dialogue.
A major frustration with this film, as with many Paul Cox films, is the sound, as the dialogue is often muffled, too soft or drowned out by background noise.
The film leaves you with a strong impression of a rugged but beautiful island, where foreigners come for short stays to resolve their personal problems. It was a good idea, to have the three women from different cultures in an isolated place, but the characters seemed distant.
The main character, Eva, played by Czech actress Eva Sitta, seems lost, having run away from the dullness of Australia and her marriage there, but unwilling to return to the Communist repression of her home country. She accepts the warm enthusiasm of the Greek artist, played by veteran Greek actress Irene Papas, while remaining a closed book, full of shy smiles and secrets. It's intriguing at first but a little tiresome by the end.
The other characters also remain somewhat underdeveloped, and we don't know much apart from their surface by the end. Although the film captures the beauty of the island, and the warmth of the villagers who care for these women, in the end the drama is slow, and sometimes confusing.
Chris Haywood, who plays a helpful Greek mute with convincing gusto, is the only major Australian presence in the film, as Norman Kaye, who plays either an Australian or an Englishman, only appears for a minute or so to mumble some inconsequential dialogue.
A major frustration with this film, as with many Paul Cox films, is the sound, as the dialogue is often muffled, too soft or drowned out by background noise.
The film leaves you with a strong impression of a rugged but beautiful island, where foreigners come for short stays to resolve their personal problems. It was a good idea, to have the three women from different cultures in an isolated place, but the characters seemed distant.