Movie
MARIA PENTAGIOTISSA
After the revolution in 1821, in the village of Pentagioi in Central Greece, Maria, a beautiful, handful girl (Frida Poupelina), baptized by Father Gavriil (Achilleas Madras), gets all the young men in the area burning with desire for her. The girl falls in love with a rich sheperd’s son, but she is abducted by gang leader Lamaras (Aimilios Veakis). The royal couple Otto and Amalia (Ilias Kananas – M. Andrikidi) are visiting the area and meet the girl. Maria and her lover kill her brother and go to prison. After her release thanks to Father Gavriil, Maria puts herself at the head of the men under gang leader Davelis (Ch. Chatzichristos) and returns to the village to take revenge on the people who had treated her badly. At the end, the bandits join forces with the Greek army and liberate Epirus. The king grants general amnesty. Many years later Maria passes away next to the grave of her beloved priest.
- Production Year 1929
- First Greek Screening 18/02/1929
- Color B/W
- Audio SOUND ( SOUND WAS ADDED AFTERWARDS TO THE ORIGINAL SILENT VERSION OF THE FILM )
- Director MADRAS ACHILLEAS
- Production AZAX FILM
- Script Writer MADRAS ACHILLEAS
- Directors of Cinematography HEPP JOSEPH, ALBERGER T.
- Choreographer DAMASKOS V.
- POUPELINA FRINTA (MAI NENA )
- VEAKIS AIMILIOS
- CHATZICHRISTOS CH.
- MADRAS ACHILLEAS
- KANANAS ILIAS
- ANDREADOU MARITSA (ANDRIKIDI MARITSA)
- KANTIOTIS EMMANOUIL
- AVLONITIS VASILIS
- DAMASKOS V.
- TRICHAS SPYROS
- SKARAVAIOU IRIS
- VASILAKIS G.
- AFENTAKIS K.
- SPARIDIS GIANNIS
14 photographs about this movie
1 poster about this movie
48 themes about this movie
OPENING FILM TITLESOPENING FILM TITLES
00:00:00-00:01:47
Opening Film Titles
THE GANG LEADER CAPTURES MARIA’S RELATIVES
00:10:53-00:12:46
Maria’s relatives rush to her rescue in an attempt to set her free. They set out for the bandits’ fastness. There’s gunfire. Maria manages to get away and meets up with her brother. But the gang leader captures her relatives and threatens to have them executed.
Participants: LAMARAS – THE MEN - MARIA - THE RELATIVES – THANASIS
OTTO’S PALACE
00:12:47-00:16:38
We are in Otto’s palace. Amalia is in the company of her retinue. She gives her husband a telegram which alerts him to the existence of bandits that abduct girls. Nevertheless, the queen wants to go to the fair at Salona, despite rumors that the mountains in Roumeli are preyed upon by bandits. Otto promises that they will go. Later, Otto receives a delegation from Chios. They inform the King that unemployment is running high, everywhere business is stagnating and dealings are few and far between. The King asks his attending general to clarify some of the things they said in their local dialect. Amalia appoints the ladies-in-waiting. The royal couple and their retinue leave the palace and mount their horses. In the end, we watch a royal cavalry parade.
Participants: OTTO - AMALIA - A DELEGATION FROM CHIOS – LADIES IN WAITING – THE ROYAL CAVALRY - THE GENERAL
THE KING GOES ON A HUNTING TRIP
00:16:39-00:17:43
The king and his escorts hunt in the mountains in Roumeli.
Participants: THE KING - THE ESCORT
THE FAIR IN SALONA
00:17:44-00:18:10
Thanasis, Maria’s brother, goes to the fair in Salona, but forbids Maria to attend.
Participants: THANASIS - MARIA - VILLAGE WOMAN
MARIA DEFIES HER BROTHER’S STRICT ORDERS
00:18:11-00:18:42
Maria’s boyfriend, Tourkakis, suggests that they go to the fair in secret and Maria accepts, defying Thanasis’ strict orders to the contrary.
Participants: MARIA - TOURKAKIS
PREPARATIONS FOR THE FAIR
00:18:43-00:19:20
The preparations for the fair at Salona are underway. The merrymakers sing away as they slaughter lambs for the feast.
Participants: THE MERRYMAKERS OF SALONA
MARIA AND THE ROYAL COUPLE
00:19:21-00:19:49
Maria offers the royal couple flowers and wishes them “a rose garden” in their life. They thank her.
Participants: MARIA TO ROYAL COUPLE– THE ESCORT
MARIA LEADS THE DANCE
00:19:50-00:21:38
Otto and Amalia watch villagers dance to music played by an orchestra. Maria leads the dance.
Participants: THE ROYAL COUPLE - THE ESCORT – THE MERRYMAKERS - MARIA
THANASIS GETS INTO A FIGHT WITH MARIA’S ESCORT
00:21:39-00:23:03
News of Maria, whose name has by now become a legend, spreads to the café where her brother Thanasis is hanging around. As he starts to pull Maria out of the dance circle, her escort steps in and they get into a fight.
Participants: MERRYMAKERS - THANASIS - MARIA - TOURKAKIS
THANASIS LOCKS MARIA UP IN HER ROOM
00:23:04-00:24:06
In the village, Thanasis locks Maria up in her room and bolts the door, turning a deaf ear to her anguished cries to let her out. He stations himself outside and stands guard. In the meantime, Tourkakis watches over his girlfriend’s house.
Participants: THANASIS - MARIA
THE PENTAGIOI AREA, DORIS
00:01:48-00:03:01
We watch everyday scenes from the life of nomadic populations in mountainous Roumeli, in the locality of Pentagioi.
Participants: NOMADIC POPULATIONS
TOURKAKIS ELOPES WITH MARIA
00:24:07-00:25:34
On the 20th day, Maria elopes with Tourkakis, her boyfriend. They take refuge in a hut and make love. Tourkakis promises to marry her as soon as he does his military service.
Participants: MARIA -TOURKAKIS - THANASIS – A BLACK MAN
MARIA ASKS TOURKAKIS TO KILL HER BROTHER
00:25:35-00:26:57
Thanasis hits Maria hard, as she tries to sneak back into the house. At the sight of this violent scene, Tourkakis turns around and runs away. Maria gets another woman to give his lover an axe and tell him to kill her brother without fail.
Participants: THANASIS - MARIA - TOURKAKIS - WOMEN
TOURKAKIS KILLS THANASIS
00:29:32-00:31:04
The feast of Christ’s Ascension. The villagers head for the village. At the sheepcote, Maria and a girlfriend get ready to go to the village, too. Tourkakis brings Thanasis’ weapons to Maria and tells her that he has followed her order and killed him. Maria looks shocked. Her girlfriend, who has been eavesdropping, tells them to hide the weapons and go to the village.
Participants: MARIA - MARIA GIRLFRIEND – TOURKAKIS - VILLAGERS
MARIA TURNS TOURKAKIS OVER TO THE POLICE
00:31:05-00:32:30
The villagers put pressure on Maria to make her confess who killed Thanasis. His weapons are found in the well and Maria turns Tourkakis over to the police, who put him under arrest. The entire village has turned against them and Maria’s mother calls her a murderer.
Participants: VILLAGERS - MARIA - MARIA'S MOTHER - TOURKAKIS – THE POLICE
FATHER GAVRIIL GETS READY TO RETURN TO PENTAGIOI
00:26:58-00:29:31
Meteora: scenes from monastic life. Succumbing to tiredness, Father Garbriil gets ready to return to Pentagioi after 20 years of absence. His only wish now is to merry Maria off and spend the rest of his days at Pentagioi. He sets out on the journey to the village.
Participants: FATHER GAVRIIL - MONKS
TOURKAKIS AND MARIA IN A DUNGEON
00:32:31-00:34:46
The police lead Tourkakis and Maria to a dungeon, while Father Gavriil, who is back at the village, looks on. The village has turned against Maria. Father Gavriil prays to God to come to her rescue and collapses. Maria’s voice is heard asking for help and pleading not guilty. Father Gavriil decides to go and see the king.
Participants: FATHER GAVRIIL - THE POLICE - VILLAGERS – TOURKAKIS - MARIA
TOURKAKI’S AND MARIA’S CONVICTION
00:34:47-00:36:14
Maria stands trial at the village. Maria’s own girlfriend testifies against her. Maria denies the accusations. The couple denounce one another.
Participants: MARIA - TOURKAKIS - THE PERSECUTOR – THE JUDGES - THE JURY – THE POLICE - VILLAGERS – A FRIEND
FATHER GAVRIIL ASKS THE KING TO GRANT A ROYAL PARDON
00:36:15-00:37:48
Father Gavriil appears before the King to ask him to grant Maria a royal pardon. He reminds the king that they had met once at a fair in Salona. King Otto grants his request. While the court pronounces the defendants guilty and imposes a prison sentence of 5 and 2 years for Tourkakis and Maria respectively, Father Gavriil arrives with the royal pardon, but the court overrules it. Maria collapses and Father Gavriil bends down over her.
Participants: THE KING - FATHER GAVRIIL - CROWDS OF PEOPLE - THE PROSECUTOR - THE JURY – THE JUDGES - TOURKAKIS - MARIA
FATHER GAVRIIL VISITS MARIA
00:37:49-00:40:35
Maria sings away to herself in prison. Father Gavriil produces the royal pardon to the drunken prison guard who had once tried to rape Maria. The girl is set free.
Participants: MARIA - FATHER GAVRIIL – THE PRISON GUARD – A VILLAGER
MARIA SWEARS TO TAKE REVENGE
00:40:36-00:41:52
A free woman now, Maria returns to Pentagioi and swears to take revenge on her fellow-villagers for throwing her to prison. She seeks out gang leader Lamaras and tells him her plan, while his men pronounce her a captain.
Participants: MARIA - LAMARAS - THE MEN
MARIA’S CHRISTENING
00:03:02-00:04:36
We watch Maria’s christening by Father Gavriil, who is going to become a monk at Meteora and announces his decision to the congregation.
Participants: FATHER GAVRIIL - MARIA AS BABY – VILLAGERS
DAVELIS ATTACKS LAMARAS
00:41:53-00:43:17
With the intention of abducting Maria, gang leader Davelis leads 60 men against Lamaras. Lamaras is tipped off and rides with his men into battle.
Participants: DAVELIS - LAMARAS –THE MEN – MARIA
LAMARAS’ DEATH
00:43:18-00:45:02
After a fierce battle that ends with the death of Lamaras the bandit, Davelis takes Maria away with him. Davelis’ men have fun and drink to their leader’s health.
Participants: DAVELIS - LAMARAS – THE MEN - MARIA
THE VILLAGERS CURSE MARIA
00:45:03-00:46:38
Father Gavriil collects Maria from the bandits and takes her to the village. She bribes a village woman to put up Maria, but as soon as the villagers are alerted to her presence, they curse and stone her.
Participants: GATHER GAVRIIL - MARIA - A WOMAN – VILLAGERS
FATHER GAVRIIL HELPS MARIA TO ESCAPE
00:46:39-00:46:57
Father Gavriil helps imprisoned Maria to escape through the window
Participants: FATHER GAVRIIL - MARIA
MARIA IS PRONOUNCED A CAPTAIN
00:46:58-00:48:11
Maria gets back to the mountains with the bandits who offer her expensive gifts. She turns down their offers and the riches. She is declared a captain: gang leader Maria Pentagiotissa.
Participants: MARIA - THE BANDITS
THE SONG WRITTEN FOR MARIA
00:48:12-00:49:51
The elderly middle-class teacher reads aloud, in a mocking way, to girls from Pentagioi the song written for Maria: “In Salona lambs are slaughtered and so are rams in Chrysso, but at Maria’s feet young men are slain”.
Participants: THE ELDERLY TEACHER - SCHOOLGIRLS
MARIA SETS FIRE TO THE VILLAGE FOR VENGEANCE
00:49:52-00:53:42
The following day is celebration time for the entire village. The villagers dance to Maria’s song, when she turns up with her men and breaks into the festivities. After listening to the song that mars her reputation, she is ready to take revenge. She threatens with a knife her girlfriend Chrysso, who wrote the lyrics for this song and cuts off a villager’s ear. In the end, she sets fire to the village.
Participants: VILLAGERS - MARIA – MARIA'S MEN - CHRYSO
THE BATTLE AND VICTORY OF THE ARMY
00:53:43-00:55:42
The army steps in as part of mopping-up operations targeted at bandits. It is reported by the army that in the ensuing battle the army emerges victorious.
Participants: THE ARMY - VILLAGERS - BANDITS
MARIA CAPTURES CHRYSSO AND HER HUSBAND
00:55:43-00:58:37
Maria leads the bandits to another act of revenge. During Chrysso’s wedding in Pentagioi, Maria rides into the village with the bandits and captures the newlyweds. Eager to have her revenge, Maria lights a fire to burn her girlfriend alive, but yields to Father Gavriil’s earnest requests – it was him who had performed the wedding ceremony – and forgives her “like Jesus forgave Magdalene”. The two women make friends again at the priest’s feet.
Participants: MARIA - THE BADITS - VILLAGERS – CHRYSO - CHRYSO'S HUSBAND – FATHER GAVRIIL
THE KING PLANS TO LIBERATE EPIRUS
00:58:38-01:01:32
In the palace, the king plans to liberate Epirus with the help of Kolokotronis and Mavromichalis. As the state coffers are empty, Queen Amalia runs a campaign to raise funds: she offers her jewels and asks the ladies-in-waiting to contribute gold jewels in support of the revolution in Epirus. Military leaders Pontos, Petmezas, Botsaris and Tzavelas all swear by the flag to shed their blood defending their country and religion. The national anthem is heard.
Participants: THE KING - KOLOKOTRONIS - MAUROMICHALIS - AMALIA– AMALIA - LADIES IN WAITING– PONTOS - PETMEZAS - MPOTSARIS - TZAVELAS
THE PRIEST ARRIVES AT METEORA
00:04:37-00:05:53
The priest arrives at Meteora and is carried in the net up to the monastic community. He feels as if his soul goes to heaven.
Participants: FATHER GAVRIIL - A MONK – MONKS
THE ROYAL COUPLE DEPART FOR THE MILITARY CAMP
01:01:33-01:03:17
The royal couple set out for the camp on horseback escorted by the royal cavalry.
Participants: THE ROYAL COUPLE - THE ROYAL CAVALRY
SETTING OUT FOR THE LIBERATION OF EPIRUS
01:03:18-01:05:12
The heroic leaders of the Greek army set out to liberate Epirus. The soldiers are all of the same mind, brim with enthusiasm and their morale runs high.
Participants: THE HEROIC LEADERS OF THE GREEK ARMY
MARIA AND DAVELIS SET OUT TO JOIN FORCES WITH THE ARMY
01:05:13-01:05:59
Maria, gang leader Davelis and his men, singing away “dark is the night in the mountain”, set out to join forces with the Greek army.
Participants: MARIA - DAVELIS - THE MEN
THE ARMY ACCEPTS THE BANDITS’ OFFER FOR HELP
01:06:00-01:06:38
Grivas and other military leaders of the Greek army accept the offer extended to them by Maria and the bandits. The commader-in-chief wraps the Greek flag around Maria, who is now hailed as a heroine.
Participants: GRIVAS - THE GREEK ARMY LEADERS- THE BANDITS - MARIA - GREEK SOLDIERS
THE TURKS TAKE UP ARMS
01:06:39-01:07:12
While the Greek army advances, the Turks pray to Allah before going into battle. Acting in anger at the Greeks in general and Maria in particular, the Turks take up arms.
Participants: THE TURKS - THE GREEKS
FATHER GAVRIIL DIES IN BATTLE
01:07:13-01:11:49
The Greeks and the Turks are engaged in battle. Maria boosts the Greek troops’ spirit. The fighting continues unabated. Father Gavriil gets shot in the chest. Eventually, the Greeks win a glorious victory, while Maria in tears looks after Father Gavriil’s body and covers it with the Greek flag.
Participants: THE GREEKS - THE TURKS– MARIA - FATHER GAVRIIL
THE RECEPTION OF THE ROYAL COUPLE
01:11:50-01:12:56
The palace guards line up at the columns of Olympian Zeus for the state reception of the royal couple returning from the battlefield.
Participants: THE ROYAL COUPLE - THE PALACE GUARD
THE KING GRANTS AMNESTY TO THE BANDITS
01:12:57-01:13:19
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the king suggests that general amnesty should be granted to the bandits who fought in battle. As Queen Amalia is of the same opinion, general amnesty is finally granted and the ladies-in-waiting are decorated.
Participants: OTTO - AMALIA - THE LADIES IN WAITING – SOMEONE IN THE KING'S SERVICE
MARIA PASSES AWAY NEXT TO FATHER GAVRIIL’S GRAVE
01:13:20-01:14:00
Several years later, Maria prays for Father Gavriil’s soul and takes flowers to the remote area where he is buried. On one of these visits, Maria passes away next to the benevolent priest’s grave.
Participants: MARIA
IN PENTAGIOI, 18 YEARS LATER
00:05:54-00:07:35
We are in Pentagioi, 18 years later. At the village tavern, the young men sing songs of love for Maria. We watch shepherds with their flock and women at the sheepcote.
Participants: PEOPLE FROM PENTAGIOI - SHEPHERDS - A SHEPHERD
MARIA WORKING IN THE VINEYARDS WITH OTHER WOMEN
00:07:36-00:08:56
Maria works in the vineyards with other women. A shepherd plays the flute and watches the girls.
Participants: MARIA - WOMEN - A SHEPHERD
THE SECRET ABOUT MARIA
00:08:57-00:09:17
Maria’s cousin wants to tell her brother Thanasis a secret about the beautiful girl, but he won’t listen and pushes him off violently. His cousin asks him to look after her.
Participants: THE COUSIN - MARIA'S BROTHER – VILLAGERS
GANG LEADER LAMARAS
00:09:18-00:10:00
We watch women from Pentagioi sing away as they plough and carry wood. In his fastness, gang leader Lamaras orders his men to bring Maria to him. The bandits rush to get the girl.
Participants: WOMEN AT WORK – THE MEN - LAMARAS
BANDITS ABDUCT MARIA
00:10:01-00:10:52
As the women make their way back to the village carrying their load, they are attacked by bandits, who take Maria with them by force. The gang leader smiles complacently.
Participants: THE MEN - WOMEN - MARIA
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- ASTY (ATHENS FILM CLUB) - GREEK CINEMA 1911 - 1936, 3, SINGLE-FOLD FLYER, 1958
- GREEK FILM ARCHIVE, LITTLE CLUB (MIKRI LESCHI) (1 KANARI ST) - SCHEDULE OF FILMS NOVEMBER 1990, 9, 1999
- PENTAGIOI, DORIDA - UNIVERSAL PREMIERE OF RESTORED BY THE GREEK FILM ARCHIVE, OF THE FILM MARIA PENTAGIOTISSA, 1, 1993
- GREEK FILM ARCHIVE, LITTLE CLUB (MIKRI LESCHI) (1 KANARI ST) - PROGRAMME DECEMBER 1993. 100 YEARS OF CINEMA. GREEK AND AMERICAN PRIONEERS., 12, 1993 - 1992
- NETWORK OF MUNICIPAL CINEMAS - RESTORATION OF HISTORICAL MEMORY THROUGH CINEMA, 12, BOUND, 1997
- GREEK FILM ARCHIVE, LITTLE CLUB (MIKRI LESCHI) (1 KANARI ST), 1
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