''O Drákos'' ( el, Ο Δράκος; English: ''The Ogre of Athens'' or ''The fiend of Athens''), or simply The Dragon, is a 1956 Greek existential and satirical

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

, directed by

Nikos Koundouros Nikos Koundouros ( el, Νίκος Κούνδουρος; 15 December 1926 – 22 February 2017) was a Greek film director. Biography Koundouros was born in Agios Nikolaos, Crete, in 1926. He studied painting and sculpture at the Athens School of F ...

. It tells the story of Thomas, a mousey and dull bank clerk whose physical appearance leads him to be confused with a fierce and notorious criminal. The film highlights as a theme the alienated modern individual and the alienation from the fear imposed by a central government in a social level as well, and encompasses artistically neorealist,

expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

and

ancient Greek tragedy Greek tragedy is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Greek inhabited Anatolia. It reached its most significant form in Athens in the 5th century BC, the works of which are sometimes called Attic tragedy. Greek tragedy is widely believed t ...

features. The film also satirizes the

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

genre. The plot was based on a script by

Iakovos Kambanellis Iakovos Kambanellis (Greek: Ιάκωβος Καμπανέλλης; 2 December 1921 – 29 March 2011) was a Greek poet, playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and novelist. Biography Born 2 December 1921 in Hora on the island of Naxos, the sixth of ...

, one of Greece's most prominent playwrights, and the music score was written by

Manos Hadjidakis Manos may refer to: Films * ''The Hands'' (Spanish: ''Las manos''), a 2006 Argentinean-Italian film * '' Manos: The Hands of Fate'', 1966 horror film Music * Manos (band), German Black metal band * ''Manos'' (album), by The Spinanes Other use ...

with the collaboration of Vasilis Tsitsanis. Although the film was a commercial disaster on its release, it is considered to be one of the most significant works of Modern Greek cinema. It won the award for best movie 1955–1959 in the first

Thessaloniki Film Festival The Thessaloniki Film Festival is a Thessaloniki-based cultural institution focusing on cinema. The Institution organizes the Thessaloniki International Film Festival every November and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival every March, while its y ...

. It also took part in the 17th Venice International Film Festival. At the 2006

International Thessaloniki Film Festival The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF), organized by the cultural institution of the same name under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture, is held every November in Thessaloniki.TIFF features international competition secti ...

, the film was announced as among the 10 all-time best Greek films by the PHUCC (Pan-Hellenic Union of Cinema Critics).

Plot

A weak and timid man, discovering his resemblance to a famous wanted criminal, "the dragon", gives up his normal, dull life in order to become famous. He becomes the leader of a criminal group (so that they think of him as "the dragon") in a great and ambitious operation. He also falls in love with a young and beautiful singer working in the bar that is the group's base of operations; but unfortunately she cannot understand his tragic emotional situation. After a while he is identified not to be "the dragon" by the members of this group and one of them, in anger, murders him.

Cast

Dinos Iliopoulos Dinos Iliopoulos (Greek: '; 12 June 1913 – 4 June 2001) was a Greek actor. He was one of the most prevalent film/theater actors in Greece. Biography He was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1915. A few years later his family moved to Marseille ...

as Thomas * Margarita Papageorgiou as Babe * Giannis Argyris as Fatman *

Thanasis Veggos Thanasis Veggos (alternatively spelt Thanassis and/or Vengos; Greek: Θανάσης Βέγγος; pronounced: ''Thanássis Véngos''; 29 May 19273 May 2011) was a Greek actor and director born in Neo Faliro, Piraeus. He performed in around 130 film ...

as Spathis * Maria Lekaki as Carmen * Theodoros Andrikopoulos *

Andreas Douzos Andreas Douzos ( el, Ανδρέας Ντούζος; 17 April 1934 - 29 April 2013) was a Greek theatre and film actor best known for starring in the prominent musical films of the Finos Films, '' Kiss the Girls'' (1965) and ''Rendez-vous in the ...

* Anestis Vlahos * Frixos Nassou * Zannino

Trivia

The movie is mentioned (and plays an important role) in

Jonathan Franzen Jonathan Earl Franzen (born August 17, 1959) is an American novelist and essayist. His 2001 novel ''The Corrections'', a sprawling, satirical family drama, drew widespread critical acclaim, earned Franzen a National Book Award, was a Pulitzer Pr ...

's novel ''

Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

'', with the title ''The Fiend of Athens''.

References

External links

*
''O Drakos'' - Official movie portal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drakos 1956 films 1950s Greek-language films 1950s thriller films Films directed by Nikos Koundouros Greek thriller films Films set in Greece Films scored by Manos Hatzidakis Greek crime drama films 1956 crime drama films Greek black-and-white films