Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2780 in DVD
• Brand: WALT DISNEY PICTURES
• Released on: 2002-03-25
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 - 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 131 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
While Captain Corelli's Mandolin may frustrate admirers of Louis de Bernières' densely detailed novel, it proves Shakespeare in Love director John Madden is a worthy craftsman of literary films. It's a tastefully old-fashioned adaptation, preserving the novel's flavour while focusing on its love story set against the turbulence of World War II. Set on the Greek island of Cephallonia, the drama begins in 1940 with occupation by Italian troops, awkwardly allied with the Nazis and preferring hedonistic friendliness over military intimidation. That attitude is most generously embodied by Captain Corelli (Nicolas Cage), who is instantly drawn to the Greek beauty Pelagia (Penélope Cruz) despite her engagement to Mandras (Christian Bale), a resistance fighter whose absence leaves Pelagia needy for affection. Mandras's eventual return--and the inevitable attack by German bombers and ground troops--threaten to stain this Greek-Italian romance with deeply tragic bloodshed.

Accompanied by pensive serenades from the captain's cherished mandolin, the film charts the unlikely attraction of Corelli and Pelagia, whose wizened physician father (splendidly played by John Hurt) fears for the worst. Their love is uneasy (and Cage's miscasting doesn't help), but the island's beguiling atmosphere is as seductive to them as it is to the viewer, thus making the outbreak of violence--and a climactic earthquake--jarringly traumatic. Emphasising nobility in war and the many definitions of love, the story's wartime context intensifies the film's admirable depth of emotion. Faults will be found by anyone who's looking for them, but Captain Corelli's Mandolin remains a sensuous, richly layered film that die-hard romantics will find hard to resist.--Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

Special Features
2.35 Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
Making Of Captain Corelli
Feature Commentary With The Director
Music Video From Russell Watson
Soundtrack Trailer
Theatrical Trailer
English

From the Back Cover
With memorable performances from Nicolas Cage (Gone In 60 Seconds, Leaving Las Vegas and Penelope Cruz (Blow, All The Pretty Horses), acclaimed director John Madden (Shakespeare In Love creates breathtaking imagery set amid the Italian occupation of Greece during World War II. When Captain Antonio Corelli (Cage) and his Italian army company arrive on the unspoiled Greek island of Cephallonia, strong-willed young Pelagia (Cruz) and the other villagers meet these uninvited guests with resentment. But as the Italians' charm and passion for life win their acceptance, Pelagia and Corelli begin to develop a bond that transcends the divisions of nationality and circumstance. Then, as the harsh reality of war ultimately crashes upon the idyllic shores of Cephallonia, Capt Corelli must face the possibility of leaving the island and losing the woman he has come to love. Also featuring Christian Bale (Shaft, American Psycho) and John Hurt (Crime and Punishment).