America America (1963)

Film Review

“America America” was Directed by Greek American Director Elia Kazan. Kazan was a legend who directed Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront” and was an influence on Martin Scorcese. “America America” was nominated for several Oscars and Golden Globe Awards. The Oscar nominations were for Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay. It took one Oscar for Best Art Direction.

Kazan won a Golden Globe for Best Director and the star of the film, Stathis Giallelis won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer. With summer here, there will be more posts on Movies, especially since the theaters are still closed.

“America America” is the greatest Greek themed movie that Hollywood has ever created. Most people have seen “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. While that movie had humor and was embraced by the public it was not a film about the Greek experience and unfortunately (through no fault of its makers) it is the film that most people associate with Greeks.

“America America” is not only a Greek themed film. It is an American film through and through. It is about the land of opportunity and the immigrant experience.

The film is a fictionalized version of the journey of Kazan’s Uncle who was born in Anatolia. The film is set in the year 1896 and the story centers around a Greek family living under worsening political conditions under the Ottoman Turks. The main character is Stavros (played by Giallelis) the oldest son in the family.

Stavros is friends with an Armenian named Vartan. The film is beautifully shot (much of it was filmed in Greece and Turkey) and the second class status of Christians under the Turks is accurately depicted. The film takes place during the period when there was unrest as the Ottomans were becoming increasingly brutal toward the Armenian Christians. Benny Morris and Dror Ze’evi who published last year’s masterpiece, “The Thirty Year Genocide” about the Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian Genocide dated the beginning of the mass slaughter to the year 1894.

The humiliation of Christians is expressed by the father of Stavros who tells his son “I keep my honor inside where it is safe”. This after a scene where the old man had to grovel in humiliation before a Turkish official. The film includes a scene where Stavros and Vartan are humiliated by Turkish officials while going about their business.

There is also a difficult scene to watch in which Armenians are massacred by the Turks. The film successfully captures the political atmosphere that surrounds the plight of Stavros and his family. Isaac, the father of Stavros is portrayed by Harry Davis who is excellent in the role.

My favorite scene in the movie is that which depicts family life. Isaac calls together his wife and children for prayer. He leads the family in prayer and gets irritated when his wife speaks when she should be praying. During the difficult centuries of Ottoman rule (referred to as Turkocratia by the Greeks) the Greeks survived because of the Greek Orthodox Church and the institution of the family.

The brutality and humiliation of living under Ottoman rule ended at the doors of the house. Even Isaac who had no choice but to accept humiliation at the hands of the Turks was a strong and good father who watched out for his family. In one scene, Stavros kissed the hand of his father.

The scene where the family is praying together has great significance because today the family in Greece has been largely decimated. Secularism, along with social media and other intrusions have done enormous harm to the institution of the family. Under the Ottomans, even the authority of the Turks had its limits. The home was a genuine sanctuary from outside oppression. The Greeks then were able to maintain their Orthodox faith and their national consciousness, something that has become less possible today as a result of the intrusions of modern technology and other sources.

Isaac is intent on sending Stavros on a mission. He is going to send him to live with his brother in Constantinople. This is the first step in the family’s efforts to make their way to America. Having already divulged too much for anyone who has not seen the film, I must stop any further discussion of the plot.

Stavros has read about America. He already loves America and desires to be an American. This is a brilliant immigrant movie and this is the film that should be embraced by the Greek American community as it depicts both the Greek national experience and America as a land of opportunity.

“America America” was released on VHS in 1994. It was released on DVD in 2011. Every Greek home should have a copy.