Overview
A group of soldiers finds unexpected camaraderie and romance on a deserted Greek island during wartime.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- warm
- wistful
- lazy sunday
- mediterranean daydream
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed the film as an appealing and humanist Italian wartime comedy, though some found its island fantasy schmaltzy and historically sanitized.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The stranded Italian soldiers gradually abandon military urgency for the peaceful rhythms of the Greek island.
The soldiers are portrayed as good-natured figures who mingle with Greek villagers and form consensual relationships, while the occupation's broader atrocities remain unaddressed.
The central conflict shifts from enemy surveillance to the soldiers' integration into island life and relationships with its inhabitants.
The Greek island's scenic isolation and peaceful atmosphere become an appealing alternative to military service.
Films like Mediterraneo, and why
The Train of Life
shared blend of wartime setting, humanist comedy, cultural encounter, and antiwar sentiment
Life Is Beautiful
shared Italian comic sensibility, bittersweet wartime atmosphere, and ordinary people adapting to historical upheaval
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
shared Mediterranean setting, cross-cultural romance, and gentle comic treatment of military conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Gabriele Salvatores
- Release Date
- 1991-02-02
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (1094)
Cast
- Diego Abatantuono
- Claudio Bigagli
- Giuseppe Cederna
- Claudio Bisio
- Gigio Alberti
- Ugo Conti
- Memo Dini
- Vasco Mirandola
- Luigi Montini
- Irene Grazioli
Common questions
- What is Mediterraneo about?
- Stranded Italian soldiers discover an unlikely paradise when wartime duty gives way to comic misadventure, romance, and human connection on a Greek island.
- What is Mediterraneo like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mediterraneo as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Mediterraneo violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Mediterraneo as mild.
- What did critics think of Mediterraneo?
- Critics broadly viewed the film as an appealing and humanist Italian wartime comedy, though some found its island fantasy schmaltzy and historically sanitized.
- Which films are like Mediterraneo?
- Films with a similar feel include The Train of Life, Life Is Beautiful, and Captain Corelli's Mandolin.
- How long is Mediterraneo?
- Mediterraneo runs 96 minutes.
