Golfo

Spiridon Peresiadis (1864 - 1918) was one of the best writers of the dramatic idylls and mountain adventure genre that flourished into the late nineteenth century in Greece. In 1894, Peresiadis wrote Golfo, a story of love, jealousy and betrayal. Summary: Golfo and Tasso love each other but Tasso wishes they weren't so poor so they would be able to live a better life together. Kitso, the nephew of Zisis, the richest man in the village tells Golfo he's in love with her and that he wants to marry her. Golfo tells Kitso that she's not good enough for him and that he should find someone of his own class. Kitso is insulted by her rejection but is still determined to marry her. Tasso is rewarded with $500 for saving an American tourist from a fall and he proposes to Golfo in the town square where they announce their engagement to everyone. Stavroula, Zisi's daughter, is outraged when she hears of Golfo's engagement to Tasso. Stavroula is jealous of the pretty and virtuous Golfo and she is set against her marrying Tasso, the most handsome man in the village. She wants him for herself. Stavroula bribes Gianno, the village snoop and gossip and tells him to talk to Tasso about leaving Golfo and marrying Stavroula. Gianno tells Tasso that he will help arrange the marriage if he will break his engagement to Golfo. Tasso kicks him out of his home but is left with the thought of marrying into a rich family and being rid of poverty. Kitso insists that his uncle Zisi also speaks to Tasso about marrying his daughter Stavroula. Kitso believes if Tasso leaves Golfo she will want to marry him. Zisis gives Tasso until sunset to decide what he wants to do and he and Kitso remind him to think about it because it is a chance of a lifetime. Tasso doesn't want to betray Golfo but he doesn't want to live in poverty any longer. As time passes and the sun is almost setting he snaps and tells Golfo that he doesn't want to marry her anymore. Golfo doesn't understand what brought this on and why Tasso has changed so much. She begins to have a mental breakdown as the whole village finds out through vicious gossip that Tasso has left her for Stavroula. Golfo has locked herself in the house as she cries day and night. Her mother is upset that Tasso has made a fool out of her. Tasso's father bursts in the house and tells Golfo that they should both talk some sense into Tasso since he was seen wandering the mountains without Stavroula. Tasso denied that he loved Golfo and when she confronts him for the last time he gets physical and shoves her to the ground. Golfo curses him for betraying her and as she leaves he receives his father's curse too. His father has gone to find Stavroula to tell her that she should call the wedding off. When she hears that Golfo has gone mad, she is satisfied. The wedding celebrations begin the night before the ceremony and as the bride and groom lead the dance the music stops as the lost Golfo walk in the room. As she talks nonsense with a strange look on her face, the guests stare at the girl who has lost her mind. They tell her to leave and Stavroula sees that she got what she wanted. To see Golfo go insane. She pledges her love to Tasso and tells him that she wants him to be happy. She also says the same to Stavroula and tells her to love him as she did. If she doesn't have the heart to love Tasso Golfo offers to rip her own heart for her chest and give it to Stavroula. Then she runs away in to the dark night in tears as the guests hear her calling Tasso's name. Tasso admits later in the night that he made a mistake and tells Zisi that he wouldn't want his daughter to marry such a horrible person. Stavroula tells her father to let Tasso go as she has no use for him anymore. The wedding is then called off. Tasso runs through the hills searching for Golfo but it is too late as Golfo has just taken a vile of poison, committing suicide. Tasso makes it just in time to hold Golfo in his arms as she says goodbye. Tasso then takes his own knife and stabs himself as he cannot live without Golfo and the film takes a Shakespearean ending.