Directed by Nikos Koundouros.
Written by Iakovos Kabanellis one of Greece's prominent playwrights. Cineatography was by Kostas Theodoridis, Music by Manos Hatzidakis.
Starring Dinos Iliopoulos as Thomas, Margarita Papageorgiou as Babe, Giannis Argyris as Fatman, Thanasis Veggos as Spathis, Maria Lekaki as Carmen and Anestis Vlahos.
This is the second Greek Noir that I've seen set in Piraeus. Piraeus is to Athens what Bunker Hill or Chinatown was to Los Angeles or The Bowery or Hells Kitchen was to New York City. Piraeus was the Port of Athens it was also the red light district. Its where the underworld thrived. The first Greek Noir I watched was The Red Lanterns (1963) aka (Ta kokkina fanaria - Τα κόκκινα φανάρια). That was the story of five prostitutes who worked the Piraeus red light district.
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| Dinos Iliopoulos as Thomas |
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| The bank basement |
This film is the tale of milquetoast Thomas. He's a bank clerk working in a basement office. Sort of a poindexter type, a nerdy pencil necked "geek" Greek loner. A guy who in his 40 years of age has never lived. Its New Years Eve. As his fellow clerks get ready to quit for the night they excitedly tell each other their plans. Thomas says nothing. They ask Thomas if he's gonna buy a new coat. He tells them he needs the money to pay the rent. Thomas will be once again alone he doesn't like snuggling.
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| Thomas on the bus ride home |
Thomas heads home on the bus he carries a newspaper and a wrapped present. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. He is startled when he sees a picture of himself and the news headlines about the image of the Ogre of Athens Revealed. He looks like the criminal mastermind.
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| Thomas' resemblance to Dragon the "Ogre of Athens" is uncanny |
He starts noticing that people are noticing him. Following him. At his landlords he tries to give their baby the present. The landlord tells him to get lost. When he sees a bunch of people running up towards his apartment he flees out through the back yard and back down into the city.
Later that evening down in Piraeus he's spotted by a cop who blows his whistle. Thomas runs off into the night where he is rescued by singer/B girl/hooker Carmen who takes him the back way into The Fatman's dive bar.
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| Spotted by a cop |
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| Thomas is picked up by Carmen |
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| Maria Lekaki as Carmen |
There he meets and becomes infatuated with Roula aka "Baby" the youngest of the singing/B girls, the one The Fatman is also in love with.
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| Margarita Papageorgiou as Roula "Babe" |
The Fatman is head of a small gang of crooks and smugglers who deal in antiquities. They have a major heist planned to steal a whole Doric column for some crazy American collector. At first The Fatman is is leery of Thomas. He recognizes him from somewhere. Then he mistakes him for the Criminal mastermind The Dragon - Ogre of Athens.
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| Roula "Babe" and The Fatman played by Giannis Argyris |
After Carmen does her nmuber. The Fatman has all the girls dance for Thomas while Roula and Thomas begin to make small talk.
Thomas' imagined life excites her, and Roula's excitement makes Thomas feel important. He plays along with her false impressions and it inflates the ego Thomas never had. Roula tells him that she wants to take care of him. The Fatman interrupts and invites Thomas in to the council for the finishing touches on his operation planed for tomorrow night. Thomas tells Roula that he will be back.
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| The Fatmann wants to steal an ancient column |
When Thomas gets out of the meeting he finds Roula waiting for him. He tells her he has to go.
She asks him if he's going to let a lady smoke alone? He walks her home and they talk. They sit on the stairway of the apartment house and fall in love.
Before things can go much further Carmen arrives. Carmen takes Thomas up to her room and asks him if he wants to go to bed with her. He begs off and tells her he has to go.
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| Gotta love the "Welome To Greece" sign above her headboard. |
Out in the hallway he runs into Roula. However the police have arrived and Thomas is arrested. A hero to the underworld, there are throngs outside watching the police cart him away.
It all goes Noirsville of course when, at the police station, it's discovered that Thomas doesn't have the scars and tattoos that Dragon the Ogre of Athens is supposed to have.
Noirsville
A very good Film Noir about a forty year old man who lives a complete life in the span of one day. Dinos Iliopoulos playing Thomas reminds me of a serious Don Knotts. He's very convincing in the part. Margarita Papageorgiou as Roula the Babe is very sweet and innocent and gives a compelling performance she only made six films, one more after this one. Giannis Argyris as dive bar owner and gang leader Fatman is perfect. Maria Lekaki plays Carmen as "been around the block a lot" sexy.
Certain cultures seem to add a lot of music to their Noir or at least their Noirs about dive bars and prostitution, The Ogre Of Athens is similar in this respect to The Red Lanterns (ta kokkina fanaria), Mexican Noirs have a lot of music also. Its just an interesting observation.
We get a nice slice of 1950s Greek life from director Koundouros and writer Kambanellis, Bravo! Screen caps are from a Youtube streamer. 8/10
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