Captain Corelli

Captain Correlli’s Mandolin Plot – Spoiler alert below

This is a war / romantic movie made in 2001 and is set in a wartime Greece. The movie follows a young woman and her father. The young woman (Pelagia) is engaged to marry a local man who is noble enough but not a man she truly loves. In the middle of this comes the invasion of the island by the Italians allied to Hitler. One of the Italians is called Captain Corelli and Pelagia and the Captain fall in love and she calls off her engagement, having found the man she truly loves. Then the Germans come and massacre some of the Italians (this actually happened in real life, with the Germans massacring thousands of Italian soldiers). The Captain lives and is saved by Pelagia’s ex-fiancé. After the war, she lives wondering if she will ever see Captain Corelli again. At the end of the movie, he appears again and they live happily ever after.

Please note the movie is rated 15 – violence, nudity, two swear words

Please note there are a couple of swear words in the movie and there is a slight ‘flashback’ scene with the Captain and the woman where there is slight nudity just before the clip. Be very aware of this. There is also some war violence in the movie including executions.

The true nature of Love (be aware of preceding moments)

Do not start this clip before this time under any circumstances as it has slight nudity / love scene.

Timing: 01:05:50 – 01:09:20 (DVD – in chapter 13)

Starts with Pelagia entering her house with a water jug. 

Ends with her father saying ‘pray for the liberation of the island, because then everything becomes possible.’

The scene is where Pelagia’s father speaks to her about love. He confronts her about whether she loves the man in the village, or Captain Corelli. But he talks about love and gives a powerful talk about the true nature of love. Great speech and brilliant acting from John Hurt (Iannis, the father).

“When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body. No… don’t blush. I am telling you some truths. For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away. Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? But it is!”