Themes: Fish Out of Water, Culture Clash, Women During Wartime
Main Cast: Diego Abatantuono, Claudio Bigagli, Giuseppe Cederna, Claudio Bisio, Gigio Alberti
Release Year: 1991
Country: IT
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Gabriele Salvatores' antiwar story Mediterraneo is set during World War II on a seemingly deserted island in the middle of the Aegean Sea. After their ship is sunk by the British, a unit of Italian soldiers finds refuge on the island, where they soon realize that the area is not deserted after all--its citizens have merely gone into hiding after believing they were under German attack; indeed, the Germans have already imprisoned all of the village's young men. As the brigade of soldiers, led by one Lt. Montini (Claudio Bigagli), becomes ingrained into island life, they begin repainting the church's frescoes, starting soccer teams, even finding romance. Time passes until an Italian pilot (Antonio Catania) touches down on the island, and relates the news of the world since the soldiers' arrival in 1941. Ultimately, a British rescue party comes for the soldiers, bringing with them the men who were captured by the Germans years before. Four decades later, Montini returns, re-joining the few other men who could not bring themselves to leave their island refuge. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
Cast
Diego Abatantuono - Nicola Lorusso
Claudio Bigagli - Raffaele Montini
Giuseppe Cederna - Antonio Farina
Claudio Bisio - Corrado Noventa
Gigio Alberti - Eliseo Strazzabosco
Vanna Barba - Vasilissa; Ugo Conti - Luciano Colasanti; Memo Dini - Felice Munaron; Vasco Mirandola - Libero Munaron; Luigi Montini - Poppe; Irene Grazioli - Pastorella; Antonio Catania - Italian Pilot
