Part psychological drama,part adventures, this Cacoyannis movie belongs to the first part of his career ,before he hit the big time with his famous "Zorba the Greek".
A man (Van HEFLIN , it's quite surprising to see him in this Italy/Cyprus co-production) whose marriage is on the rocks,sets out for a little sail (and not around the globe as the storyline reads)on a simple motorboat (and not on a yacht ,as the storyline claims) which explodes :hence the title "IL relitto" = the wreck .
This wreck of course is symbolic and it may seem a bit ponderous: the wreck of the boat parallels that of the marriage .
After the wreckage,with only debris to keep them afloat ,father and son are going to struggle for their life in the middle of the sea :today ,this subject has become a favorite for fans of suspenseful movies ,but Cacoyannis' treatment is first psychological drama .
The scenes of these two unfortunate shipwrecked persons are interspersed with many flashbacks which show the last quarrel between this wealthy alcoholic with his wife (Ellie Lambetti) wooed by a handsome man (Fabrizio Fabrizi).
Although this treatment may seem pretty original ,it actually throws the film off balance : these scenes from the past begin to drag on after a while ,and are finally quite derivative .On the contrary , when the director comes back to his heroes lost at sea,he makes his work a winner : pictures of the mother which appear and disappear beneath the waves gives the movie an eerie touch ;moreover,Van Heflin is excellent (apart from the child,the other actors are indifferent) as this father,hoping against hope, comforting his terrified son,realizing that his life itself has been a long wreckage .
You should watch it for him .
