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NEVER ON SUNDAY
Greece, 1959, 97 minutes, Black and white.
Melina Mercouri, Jules Dassin, Georges Foundas, Tito Vandis, Mitsos Liguisos.
Directed by Jules Dassin.
Never on Sunday is a very enjoyable film. Famous because of the characterisation of Melina Mercouri in the central role as well as by the very popular Oscar winning song, the film is one of the many made by the husband-wife team Melina Mercouri and Jules Dassin. Dassin was a prominent writer-director in the 40s in the United States, making such famous films as Brute Force and The Naked City. Blacklisted, he went to Europe and made the classic gangster film Rififi. He then moved to Greece and worked in Europe for many years making this film and Phaedra and Topkapi with his wife. A stint in America produced Uptight, a black version of the old classic Odd Man Out.
In the 70s he made the biography of Romain Gary, Promise at Dawn, and the striking combination of modern story with rehearsals for Medea, A Dream of Passion. Dassin, familiar with Greece, captures the atmosphere of Athens and Piraeus, and shows the world of the Greek prostitute. However he blends it, as he did with Phaedra and A Dream of Passion, with the traditions of Greek drama. Humorous, entertaining, full of insights.
1. Was this an enjoyable comedy? The irony of the title?
2. Comment on the zest for life of the film, despite its amoral tone.
3. What picture of Greek life, especially in the Piraeus, did the film give? Comment on particular details which showed the reality of life there, the vitality of life there, and the styles of the peoples who lived there.
4. Was this a modern fable, even though a comedy? Homer's quest for understanding the Greek culture, the Greek person, and the world? What was the reality of Homer's quest? What was he trying to understand?
5. Reference was made to "Pygmalion". How did this film use the story of Pygmalion and the transformation of a statue into life? How was this story ironically used?
6. What kind of person was Ilya? The impact of the acting and personality of Melina Mercouri? The cliche of the prostitute with the heart of gold ? but here presented realistically and convincingly? How do you explain Ilya, her life, her attitudes, her behaviour, her standards, her happiness? Why was she looked up to by the rest of the prostitutes? How was her personality revealed by her relationship with the sailors, and all the men of Piraeus? The impact of the initial swim in the water?
7. How was Homer a contrast to her? An American, a tourist, narrow and staid, theoretical? Why was he trying to understand Greece? What was he trying to prove? Note the details of the acting, his nervousness, his taking notes etc. Was he a sympathetic character? Was he arrogant in his timid way?
8. The contrast with Tonlo, his being Greek, living and working in Piraeus, energetic and vital, relating to Ilya but wanting an exclusive relationship? (Even he wanted to reform her, or change her.)
9. Comment on Ilya's weekday behaviour, her attitude towards fees, and her Sunday behaviour, open house and the vivacity of these.
10. Comment on the role of Greek dancing in the film and the atmosphere that it gave it. Comment also on the singing, especially Ilya's and their title song: the style used, the words, the atmosphere.
11. The importance of the visit to the Greek Tragedies ? Ilya's arriving first, her love for the Greek Tragedy, her altering things to see it her way (her version of Medea on the Sunday) her laughing and her crying, Homer's trying to give her the realism, should he?
12. Was Homer's plan a good one? Why was he trying to reform her? What values did he hold? Why did he think that a Greek woman should share these? His appeal to Aristotle, to ancient Greek culture, to modern Greece? How disillusioning: was it when he accepted the money from the gangster? How did he compromise himself there? How did this give the life to his values?
13. The social comment in the film - the status of the prostitutes, their being exploited? The no-face gangster and his henchmen? The girls and their attitudes towards exploitation, their reliance on Ilya? Their revolution against the gangsters, their riot, their being in jail and singing? Ilya’s bargaining with the lawyer? What insight did this give into this particular world?
14. The impact of Homer’s plan on Ilya ? how was this presented, comically, seriously ? the music, the drawing, the reading, the philosophy? Her wanting to go to meet the ship? The impact of her disillusionment when she discovered what Homer had done?
15. Was Homer's change convincing? Why did he change? Was it a surrender of values or a change of perspective? Was Ilya entirely wrong or entirely right?
16. The happy ending with Ilya and Tonio and Homer's return to America? What was the "moral" of the whole film?