The Genre of Mountain Film: The Ideological Parameters of Its Subgenres

The genre of mountain film presents stories borrowed from the theatrical, literary, and folklore traditions of Greece. Its two subgenres (dramatic idyll and mountain adventure) convey strong ideological messages regarding the representation of past and present political situations. The dramatic idyll depicts love stories in village communities permeated by harmonious, idealized relationships and provides its viewers with mythological accounts of ethnic homogeneity and unity. Conversely, the mountain adventure represents communities under oppression and focuses on legendary heroes who punish the community's enemies, resolve social disputes, and restore justice. Mountain films gave rise to a twofold representation of the Greek past, simultaneously alluding to such social attitudes as a plea for consensus (dramatic idyll) and a demand for the restoration of social justice (mountain adventure).