MOVIE REVIEW : A Crash of Symbols in ‘Act of Reprisal’

“An Act of Reprisal,” presented by the AFI/USA Independent Showcase at Laemmle’s Monica 4-Plex, is a shelved film, unseen for more than 25 years. Neither negligible nor meretricious, it’s grown into a likable period piece. Shot in Cyprus in 1964 for about $300,000, it’s a romantic-political melodrama, from a Christian-liberal perspective, that turns on a simple Romeo-Juliet, universal brotherhood theme.

The film was directed by Robert Tronson, who is little known except for his British documentary work; the producer, Wilbur Stark, was then a successful TV packager; writer John Vlahos had won an Emmy for “The Defenders.”

If it were being reviewed on its release, “Reprisal” might be a ripe target for the sort of critics who regularly savaged Jules Dassin or Stanley Kramer’s message melodramas.

But as a 26-year-old movie that had virtually no release beyond some TV syndication, there’s something weirdly impressive about it.

“An Act of Reprisal” may be obvious, but it’s never boring. It has potentially provocative themes, lively acting and perhaps most impressively, evocative black-and-white landscape cinematography by Basil Meros.

In this conflict, which pits British against Greek, and Greek against Turk, a sensitive British commissioner (Jeremy Brett), kidnaped by Greek partisans, falls in love with one of his captors: Eleni (Ina Balin), the sister of a boy he’s had imprisoned for a recent bombing.

It’s one of those movies in which every character, action, conversation or bit of landscape is symbolic. Everyone or everything exists to expose some crucial political or moral attitude.

The star-crossed couple’s progress from city to mountains and back to the city, pursued by British police, turns into a compressed socio-historical pilgrimage involving a fiery partisan leader, brawling guerrillas, a rebel Greek priest (Yanni Voglis), Eleni’s madly jealous lover and a chattering Turkish wayfarer (George Moutsios), a comical fellow who acts as if he has eyes for the priest.

None of the filmmakers won any recognition for “Act of Reprisal,” though, on the basis of this assignment, director Tronson had at least as much talent for this kind of thing as Mark Robson or Kramer himself.

What makes the movie interesting now is that it evokes the early ‘60s, with hints of a lot of sources: Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” Graham Greene’s political thrillers and the “Playhouse 90” topical dramas. (Writer Vlahos worked twice for “Playhouse 90.”)

“An Act of Reprisal” (Times-rated Mature for brief lovemaking) probably would have been chided at the time for pushing its message. But today, what redeems it is a certain lustiness and clarity in its storytelling.

The film may not deserve too much praise, but it certainly didn’t merit eclipse. Though calling it an interesting rediscovery, may seem like damnation with faint praise, it’s true.

‘An Act of Reprisal’

Ina Balin Eleni

Jeremy Brett: Harvey Freeman

Din Douglas: Inspector Stanley

Yanni Voglis: Father Chrysostum

A Wilbur Stark production. Director Robert Tronson. Producer Wilbur Stark. Screenplay John Vlahos. Cinematographer Basil Meros. With Aris Yallelis. Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes.

Times-rated: Mature (brief lovemaking).