The Travelling Players (Ο θίασος)

THE TRAVELLING PLAYERS

A film by Theo Angelopoulos

The play you are about to see in five acts

is Spyridon Peresiades' immortal idyll

"Golfo the Shepherdess",

with a superb cast of famous actors,

both seasoned players and others who are young.

The love of Golfo,

tragic and profound,

deep in your heart will resound.

In the fall of 1952 we returned to Aegion.

A few veterans, but mostly younger actors.

We were tired.

We hadn't slept for two days.

LONG LIVE MARSHAL PAPAGOS!

THE SAVIOUR OF THE NATION

If we don't want to see our streets

If we don't want another Red December...

We must all rally around the Marshal.

With your vote you can make this coming Sunday,

the 16th of November 1952, a historic day.

A day of victory for the national forces.

This is why you must vote for Papagos.

By voting for him you vote for the only national candidate.

For the man who led our army to victory...

against the communist rebels in 1947-49.

A vote for the Marshal is a vote for peace,

prosperity, law and order.

Tomorrow afternoon...

The Minister of Propaganda of the Third Reich, Goebbels,

accompanied by loanis Metaxas, our National Leader,

will pass through our town

on his way to ancient Olympia.

The National Youth Organization

invites everybody to welcome him,

suitably and respectably dressed for the occasion."

Ioannina

Lefkada, Xanthi...

Leave it, father. I'll do it.

Write down the dates too.

You will come back.

No matter how many years go by, you will come back,

full of remorse, to ask forgiveness.

One night in shame you will come back.

It won't come out!

Why is everyone happy and smiling, father?

Why don't you get your little bastard.

Dammit!

Why is the sun so bright today?

Because on a golden day like this, my child

the black tears stopped,

old wounds were healed.

The wheat grew tall.

And the stones turned into flowers and golden streams.

Left turn! Forward march!

Why? Didn't you like it?

You will come back.

No matter how many years go by, you will come back,

full of remorse, to ask forgiveness.

Broken-hearted, you will come back.

Why is everyone happy and smiling, father?

Why is the sun so bright today?

Why is the day so clear?

Because on a golden day like this, my child

the black tears stopped,

old wounds were healed.

The wheat grew tall

and the stones turned into flowers and golden streams.

You, this way. In room 15, the others in 17!

The day has come and in the dawn the morning star has set.

The peaks are drenched in sunlight and nightingales sing.

Partridges bathe in the streams

but the proudest partridge of them all,

the beautiful Golfo, has not appeared.

But here she comes!

Good day to you, Tassos.

Welcome beautiful partridge for whom my eyes languished.

Good day to you, Golfo.

They might be watching!

No one can see us save the birds of the forest.

And the birds?

Not like that... scared... the way your mother would say it.

No one can see us

save the birds of the forest and the surrounding peaks.

And the birds?

From the beginning, comrade.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Hello, mother.

Don't look at me. I look awful in the morning.

I'm on a 48-hour pass.

We leave for the border in a couple of days.

At least you don't hate me like your sisters.

Still the same obsession!

I knew you'd come.

- Again? - I dreamt about it.

No, this was something different.

We were in a garden. It was summer.

You were three or four years old.

The air was fragrant. Someone was singing.

No, it was Mr. Kokinos playing the violin. Remember him?

Then, I don't know what happened.

You ran to me. Hid between my legs.

I held you tight

until you started to sink inside me

and disappeared.

I got up then.

Mr. Kokinos was still playing the violin.

But I could feel you inside me.

Good day to you, Tassos.

Welcome, beautiful partridge, for whom my eyes pined.

Good day to you, Golfo.

Orestes! Orestes!

Orestes!

How are you, father?

I am rotting!

The daisy told me that you don't love me.

That you no longer adore me.

You cannot melt away my sadness,

however sweet your caresses...

And then...

I saw another angel descend from Heaven...

having great power.

And the earth was illumined with his glory.

And he cried out in a mighty voice saying:

Babylon! Babylon the great has fallen!

When are you leaving?

Tomorrow morning...

for the border, from what they say.

Then we'll soon be at war here, too.

One night I crossed the river!

There can be no doubt for any Marxist, that a revolution

is impossible without revolutionary conditions.

What are the characteristics of revolutionary conditions?

When a crisis breaks out in the ruling classes

creating cracks in their policy through which the discontent

and indignation of the oppressed classes emerge.

When the misery and suffering

of the oppressed classes take a more acute form.

When as a consequence of the above mentioned conditions

there is a great increase in the activity of the masses

who in times of peace quietly allow themselves to be robbed

but in revolutionary times are forced by circumstances

and the crisis in the ruling classes

towards independent historical action.

We must explain to all governments:

We know you are the armed force against the proletariat.

We will march against you,

in peace, whenever possible,

with guns when I becomes unavoidable.

Feasts! Bread! Gallows!

Tell me, girls...

How are you doing? Where are you going?

Here comes Golfo and there's Tassos, too.

Come in and see them.

Outside don't wait,

the play is great!

Don't debate, it's already eight!

Tell me, you guys...

How are you doing? Where are you going?

Here comes Golfo and there's Tassos too.

Come in and see them.

The day has come and in the dawn the morning star has set.

The peaks are drenched in sunlight and nightingales sing.

Partridges bathe in the streams

but the proudest partridge of them all,

the beautiful Golfo, has not appeared.

But here she comes!

Good day to you, Tassos.

Welcome beautiful partridge,

for whom my eyes pined.

They might be watching!

No one can see us save the birds of the forest

and the surrounding peaks.

And the birds?

What is it? What's wrong, Golfo?

How can we be together when you run from the eagle's shadow.

I was terrified.

I thought it was the shadow of a man.

Don't be afraid.

Only God is here to see us

and surely it is His wish

that we love each other faithfully and honourably.

Look around you Golfo at the clouds around us

which like a mist, like a blanket thrown from heaven

shield us from malicious gossip

and indiscreet eyes.

You are my only thought, my only dream...

And truly I pray for you

and light a candle to the Virgin Mary.

You will come back.

No matter how many years go by, you will come back,

full of remorse, to ask forgiveness.

One night in shame you will come back.

When you realize you were mistaken,

broken-hearted you will come back.

In the meantime the Turks occupied Karahissar.

It was August 1922.

The front was breaking up.

Our soldiers arrived, threw down their arms.

The Greek Army no longer existed. Disaster had struck.