The Trip

This film is a social comment of the times, exploring issues that centre around relationships and what was allowed and what was not allowed at the time (early 60s) in Greece. There are sub-plots also, mainly relating to the life of the poor city dwellers, social injustice and seeming double standards. Aliki Vougiouklaki is a poor young girl dreaming of a better life and the "handsome prince on a white stallion" who will deliver her from her miserable existence. She meets and falls in love with a young man (Nikos Kourkoulos) who also falls in love with her, but things are not as simple as they first seem. His past comes to haunt them with tragic consequences. Vassilis Diamantopoulos is excellent as the half-crazed old captain whose life strangely echoes that of young Aliki.

Directed by Dinos Dimopoulos, The Trip leans on a strong ensemble — Aliki Vougiouklaki, Nikos Kourkoulos, Vasilis Diamantopoulos — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about romance titles of 1962.