A ponderously paced but poignant story about an ageing beekeeper, who follows the pollen trail around a drearily grey Greece that is far from the picture-postcard vision usually seen on screen. The film starts with the marriage of a peasant girl to a military man. Spyro, the father, is at odds with his family for reasons that are never explained. With the departure of his girl, the family fragments and he leaves with his bees to a series of pollen areas in Greece. This is part of an annual migration of Beekeepers, although their numbers are dwindling. Along the way a dysfunctional girl foist herself on his good nature, which becomes increasingly tried. Eventually a bond forms that can only lead to one outcome.
This film is about the bleakness of despair in a hopeless world where all options have long since passed. Theo Angelopoulos' camera work is exemplary and his composition work would develop itself to perfection in the Trilogy series. Although transitions were at times a little jarring this shows a visionary director honing his skills. The film is slow with long static and tracking shots. It employs quite a bit of "action out of frame" to give the viewer a voyeuristic impression. One to watch when in a sombre reflective mood.
