The Suspended Step of the Stork (1991)
The Suspended Step of the Stork (1991), directed by Theo Angelopoulos, starring Gregory Patrick Karr and Marcello Mastroianni.
score
Synopsis
A reporter notices an old man in a border town who may be an important Greek politician who disappeared mysteriously years ago.
- Ανδρέας ΣινάνοςCinematography
- Giorgos ArvanitisCinematography
- Theo AngelopoulosDirector, Producer, Story, Writer
- Γιάννης ΤσιτσόπουλοςEditing
About the film
The Suspended Step of the Stork (Greek: Το Mετέωρο Bήμα Tου Πελαργού, translit. To Meteoro Vima Tou Pelargou) is a 1991 Greek film directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos. It was entered into the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.
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The Suspended Step of the Stork (Greek: Το Mετέωρο Bήμα Tου Πελαργού, translit. To Meteoro Vima Tou Pelargou) is a 1991 Greek film directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos. It was entered into the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.
Cast
Marcello Mastroianni as Missing Politician
Jeanne Moreau as The Woman
Gregory Patrikareas as Alexandre the Reporter (as Gregory Karr)
Ilias Logothetis as Colonel
Dora Hrisikou as The Girl
Vassilis Bouyiouklakis as Production Manager
Dimitris Poulikakos as Chief Photographer
Gerasimos Skiadaressis as Waiter
Tasos Apostolou as Perchman
Akis Sakellariou as Sound Operator
Athinodoros Prousalis as Hotel-keeper
Mihalis Giannatos as Shopkeeper
Christoforos Nezer as Parliament's President
Yilmaz Hassan as Hanged Man
Benjamin Ritter as Sound Operator
Plot
A journalist (Gregory Patrick Karr) is in a town on the border of Greece where refugees await approval of their papers. He notices an old man (Marcello Mastroianni) whom he suspects is a famous politician who, years ago, disappeared without a trace. He works to uncover the man's story, meeting one of his old lovers (Jeanne Moreau) in the process.
Themes
The film explores the concept of borders, specifically in relation to the history of the Balkans. In The films of Theo Angelopoulos: A Cinema of Contemplation, Andrew Horton writes that the images in Suspended Step "force us to meditate, in a clearer light, on the concept of borders and the territories-geographical, cultural, political, and personal-they lock in and out." He likens the structure of the film to that of Citizen Kane, noting that in Angelopoulos' film the reporter is a more individualized character. In Suspended Step, the journalist does not discover his "Rosebud", but rather gains an appreciation of the possibility of a new humanism in the process of border crossing. The final shot of the reporter watching phone lines being built embodies this idea, "offering the healing touch of movement beyond boundaries."
Reception
New York Times critic Caryn James noted that although The Suspended Step of the Stork has "all the elements of a first-rate Angelopoulos film", it suffers from a "bland, banal" protagonist that "dissolves suspense wherever he turns." Though she offers praise for Mastroianni's performance, James refers to the film as "uneven" and "strained".
References
External links
The Suspended Step of the Stork at IMDb
Text from The Suspended Step of the Stork on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Suspended_Step_of_the_Stork
Trivia
- It premiered on December 4, 1991, a Wednesday.
- It runs 2h22 — a typical feature length.
- Its original title is "Το μετέωρο βήμα του πελαργού".
- This film's quiz has 10 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosArena Films, Th. Angelopoulos Productions, Greek Film Centre, Vega Film, Erre Produzioni
- CountriesGreece, France, Switzerland, Italy
- LanguagesEnglish, French, Greek
- StatusReleased
Cast
-
Gregory Patrick Karr
Alexandre the Reporter -
Marcello Mastroianni
Missing Politician -
Jeanne Moreau
The Woman -
Dora Hrysikou
The Girl -
Ilias Logothetis
Colonel -
Dimitris Poulikakos
Chief Photographer -
Gerasimos Skiadaresis
Waiter -
Mihalis Giannatos
Shopkeeper -
Akis Sakellariou
Sound Operator -
Athinodoros Prousalis
Hotelkeeper -
Christoforos Nezer
Parliament's President -
Nadia Mourouzi
Alexandre's Friend -
Vasilis Bouyiouklakis
Production Manager -
Tasos Apostolou
Perchman - Yilmaz Hassan Hanged Man
- Benjamin Ritter Sound Operator
- Konstantinos Lagos Little Boy
-
Thodoris Atheridis
Married man -
Fotos Lambrinos
TV Program Manager - Rodolphe Moronis TV CEO
Quiz about this movie
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Tags
Crew
- Ανδρέας Σινάνος Cinematography
- Giorgos Arvanitis Cinematography
- Theo Angelopoulos Director
- Γιάννης Τσιτσόπουλος Editing
- Bruno Pésery Producer
- Theo Angelopoulos Producer
- Tonino Guerra Writer
- Θανάσης Βαλτινός Writer
- Theo Angelopoulos Story
- Theo Angelopoulos Writer
- Petros Markaris Writer
Questions about this film
What is The Suspended Step of the Stork about?
The Suspended Step of the Stork: A reporter notices an old man in a border town who may be an important Greek politician who disappeared mysteriously years ago.
Who directed The Suspended Step of the Stork?
The Suspended Step of the Stork was directed by Theo Angelopoulos in 1991.
Who stars in The Suspended Step of the Stork?
The cast of The Suspended Step of the Stork includes Gregory Patrick Karr, Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau, Dora Hrysikou and Ilias Logothetis.
How long is The Suspended Step of the Stork?
The Suspended Step of the Stork runs for 142 minutes, or 2h22.
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Page updated on 09/13/2026.
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