Netflix is one of the few streaming services that gives a platform and investment in movies and television shows produced in virtually every part of the world. The catalog has a very wide variety of, for example, Danish, Spanish, Italian and French shows and movies. In addition to the great French erotic thriller No limitNetflix released one of the best French movies produced by them this year, and for some reason it hasn’t gotten the attention it so dutifully deserves.
Athens is a French political film. The story is brilliantly directed by Romain Gravas, who created a spectacle about modern issues in just 90 minutes. He is the son of the famous director Costa-Gavras, who is also known for his socio-political films. Romain co-wrote Athens with filmmaker Ladj Ly, known for his Oscar-nominated and Cannes-winning film from 2019 Les Miserables. The movie starts with a punch and doesn’t let the audience slide through this story without feeling everything the characters go through. Athens is an immersive experience in a violent and cruel world that unfortunately is reality for several people.
Athens begins right after a boy is killed by the police and the video of the murder went viral. One of the boy’s brothers, Abdel (Dali Benssalah), who is part of the military, explains that the police are going after the people in the video. At the same time, his other brother Karim (Sami Slimane) arrives at the press conference, and he has various means to avenge the death of his little brother. From then on, there is a violent chase and escape between this broken family and the police.
Romain Gavras directs Athens
Romain Gavras created a story that can be compared to a Greek tragedy, which is only enhanced by the residential complex named after the goddess of wisdom, Athena. The director told the Irish Times that he grew up on Greek tragedies, not Disney movies. His defeatist tale of violence and family is enhanced by every incredible shot, most of which appear to be lengthy sequences with barely a cut. These sequences make the audience hold their breath in anticipation of what might happen, just to catch a breath — that is, until the next sequence begins. This, combined with the handheld camera technique that is present for almost the entire film, really gives the viewer the feeling that they are running alongside these characters in the residential complex.
Athens has a very intelligent use of cinematography. As night falls, flames, torches and smoke fill the screen against the dark background of the sky, creating a powerful and beautiful world at war. Each decision really created the dark universe that the story is trying to convey. Gavras was able to amplify any anger and sadness these characters feel through the way he shot the film. It is without doubt one of his finest works.
A human story
What initially grabs the audience’s attention is the fast-paced story and violence, but what holds it all together and really makes the film so great is the emotional rawness of grief that lurks beneath each of the main characters’ actions. The meaning of family, loss, and the hatred that results from being ignored and tortured for too long is translated incredibly well by the superb acting of the ensemble’s main cast.
Athens is primarily a human story. The characters and their deep-seated goals about how to move forward after the loss of a brother give the film depth and elevate it beyond a normal thriller. The moments when they are alone, when their sadness becomes too much to hide – that’s when the film creates a bond with the audience. It was also fundamental to have a police officer with a family that is used to humanizing the police, showing that everyone has a lot to lose, not just the main characters.
Athens is a heartbreaking journey to watch and is the type of movie that stays with the viewer for a while after the movie is over. The audience doesn’t get long dialogues to express what the characters are feeling, but there’s no need to. Their daring and dangerous actions to seek some kind of relief are enough.
Athena is a necessary watch
Athens should receive more recognition than it has hitherto. Not only is it beautiful to watch and the family drama is incredibly moving, but there are some very current themes that the film tackles. The main story of the film deals with xenophobia and religious prejudice (mainly by far-right extremist groups) and the results of police brutality. And, in the case of Athensa child.
Beware that while these issues form the basis of the film, they are not explored in depth. They can be considered a backstory that the filmmaker decided not to delve deeply into the cause, but the effect. Gravas told the guard,“My favorite films are visual films in which you don’t get a message. You get emotions through the power of the images.” This is a perfect way to describe the political warfare that is Athens.
So if you’re looking for a new perspective on these things, or a movie that dutifully discusses them and didacticly tells you what to think, this isn’t it. Athens focuses on what happens when a group of people have had enough and decide to take matters into their own hands. It portrays the consequences of problems that the public already has a deep understanding of as they are occurring at an alarming rate around the world.