Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

Why Watch Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is a bittersweet novel by Louis de Bernieres and was released in 1994. It went to achieve incredible success and was praised for its multiple levels of emotions, and accurate historical events referred to in the story. The poetic love story explores the numerous varieties of love. The gradual development of the romance between the two main characters from the crux of the story. Melly Still, a Tony and Olivier Award nominee, is in charge of the direction. She has been praised for capturing the main ideas of the novel and staging a heartfelt and inventive play. She aptly captures the powerlessness and horror of war, and how it can drive families apart and create wedges in relationships. Rona Munro, who is the writer and stage adaptor has done a stellar job in compressing the hefty book into just a 2.5-hour production. The sound design is stunning, and the use of actors to play animals is a charming move. The sound and set design viscerally capture the scene of war, and you will feel the ground beneath you shake with the rumble of the earthquakes when bombs are dropped. Do not miss this moving play that questions whether romance can trump war and hatred.

The Story

Dr. Iannis is a multilingual doctor who lives on the beautiful and serene Greek island of Cephalonia, along with his strong-willed daughter Pelagia. He has a well-established medical practice on the island, and Pelagia assists her father, although having no formal medical training. In 1941, Captain Antonio Corelli is a young Italian officer who is stationed in Cephalonia. He is a part of the occupying Italian forces, who along with the German forces, are ostracized by the locals. The local people are determined to drive these soldiers away from their homes. Corelli is assigned to live in Dr. Iannis’ home, and Pelagia is determined to hate this outsider.
Over time, however, Pelagia realises that Captain Corelli is a kind-hearted, humorous and civilized man, and also a gifted musician. Slowly but surely, the beautiful Pelagia falls in love with the captain. Soon, the Italians join forces with the Allies, and as a result, the Italian soldiers are freed from their duties. The Germans turn on the Italians and massacre thousands of soldiers. Captain Correli life is saved by a friend and he must escape to Italy. Will the captain make it back to his homeland and escape the brutality of the Germans? Will he return to the island and marry Pelagia after the war has ended?

Good For

Fans of Novel Adaptations | Lovers of Romantic Dramas