The Ogre of Athens


O Drákos or simply The dragon is a 1956 Greek existential and satirical drama crime film, directed by Nikos Koundouros. It tells the story of Thomas, a mousey and dull bank clerk who passes mistakenly for a fierce and notorious criminal due to his physical resemblance with him. 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 and ancient Greek tragedy features. The film also satirizes the film noir genre. The plot was based on a script by Iakovos Kambanellis, one of Greece's most prominent playwrights, and the music score was written by Manos Hadjidakis with the collaboration of Vasilis Tsitsanis. Although the film was a commercial disaster on its era 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. It also took part in the 17th Venice International Film Festival.
At the 2006 International Thessaloniki Film Festival, the film was announced as among the 10 all-time best Greek films by the PHUCC.

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 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

The movie is mentioned in Jonathan Franzen's novel Freedom, with the title The Fiend of Athens.