Watch Rebetiko

Rebetiko, directed by Costas Ferris in 1983, is a cinematic masterpiece that narrates and celebrates a crucial piece of Greek history which remains unknown to many. Set in the early decades of the 20th century, the film tells the story of the rebetiko, an urban music genre that emerged in the ghettos of Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki, amid poverty, drugs, and criminality.

Rebetiko is not only a film about music but also a social and political commentary on Greece's recent history. Through the life and music of Marika Ninou (Sotiria Leonardou), one of the most important voices of rebetiko music, Ferris condenses the entire history of Greece, from World War I to the Civil War (1946-1949), in a few hours. Marika's story is that of an artist who embodied the sorrow, the passions, and the rebellious spirit of a whole generation, a symbol of resistance against the tyranny of the state and the bourgeoisie.

The film is structured like a series of flashbacks, beginning with Marika's death in 1957 and then going back to her childhood in Smyrna (now Izmir), in Asia Minor, before the largest population exchange in history forced her family to flee to Greece. Throughout her life, Marika struggles to reconcile her desire for love and happiness with the pain, loneliness, and rejection that her art and lifestyle impose on her. Her music expresses the longing for a home she has lost, the nostalgia for a world that no longer exists, and the rage against a society that discriminates and marginalizes her.

As the film progresses, Marika matures from a young girl who sings in cafes to a famous singer who performs in casinos and nightclubs, from a naive lover to a heartbroken woman. Her music evolves from the folk and oriental melodies of her roots to the urban blues and jazz styles of the rebetiko, thanks to the guidance and inspiration of the legendary composers Vassilis Tsitsanis (Nikos Kalogeropoulos) and Manolis Hiotis (Michalis Maniatis), who also appear in the film as her mentors and partners. Tsitsanis, who wrote some of the most popular and enduring songs of rebetiko, such as "Synnefiasmeni Kyriaki" and "Ta Tsiftetelia," introduces Marika to the world of music production and recording, while Hiotis, a virtuoso bouzouki player, challenges her to improvise and experiment with new styles.

However, the glory and success of Marika's career do not shield her from the police harassment, the censorship, and the moral condemnation that rebetiko faces during the dictatorships of Ioannis Metaxas (1936-1941) and Georgios Papadopoulos (1967-1974). Ferris exposes the hypocrisy and brutality of the regimes that repress any form of dissent and alternative culture, while promoting the superficial patriotism and conformity of the masses. Marika and her colleagues are arrested, beaten, and humiliated for singing about drugs, sex, and poverty, and their music is banned from the public sphere.

Despite the adversity, rebetiko survives and thrives as an underground culture, a subculture that resists and subverts the dominant norms and values of society. Ferris depicts the rebetiko as a form of collective memory and identity, a means of solidarity and cultural survival, and a source of inspiration and solidarity for future generations. The film ends with Marika's funeral, where hundreds of rebetiko lovers and musicians pay their homage to the fallen queen of the music of the underworld.

The cinematography of Rebetiko is stunning, using a mix of archive footage, still images, and live action to capture the blend of beauty and ugliness, richness and poverty, that characterizes the rebetiko. The color palette is warm and earthy, evoking the nostalgia and the sensuality of the music and the era. The editing is skillful and emotional, creating a rhythm that matches the pace and the mood of the songs.

The performances of the cast are exceptional, particularly Leonardou's portrayal of Marika, a complex and vulnerable character who embodies the contradictions and the aspirations of her milieu. Her voice and her demeanor convey the power and the fragility of rebetiko, the magic and the tragedy of a music genre that emerged from the ruins and the aspirations of a people who aspired to be free.

In conclusion, Rebetiko is a mesmerizing and enlightening film, a must-see for anyone interested in Greek culture, history, and music. It sheds light on a neglected and misunderstood aspect of the Greek experience, challenging the stereotypes and prejudices that surround this music genre, and celebrating the resilience and the creativity of a subculture that defied the norms and the expectations of its time. Rebetiko is not just a film about the past but an ode to the human spirit and the power of art to transform and transcend reality.