Exodos 1826: A Road of No Return

There is no denying that this film has some obvious shortcomings. It moves slowly, it has rather weak dialogue and some of its parts lack authenticity. However, it triumphs in an area where almost every other Greek patriotic film has failed and that is the detailed depiction of the inner conflict between the protagonists' personal feelings and their commitment to the national cause. In films like "Papaflessas" or "Souliotes" we see the heroes talk of self-sacrifice so many times and so pompously that everything looks unreal and unconvincing. Here we are faced with the human emotion as it really is. These men know they are going to lose their lives, but they decide to go and fight. They know what they leave behind, but they are determined to aid their compatriots and they march on. They are plagued by feelings of doom, but they still continue with their perilous journey. This inner conflict is depicted masterfully in the gloomy faces of the heroes, their stoic silences, their raw reactions, their melancholic movements.

In short, "Exodos 1826" is a decent project and a fresh approach to the Greek patriotic film genre. It is not perfect, but it is undoubtedly a step forward.