The Roundup (1965): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1965, The Roundup is a drama and war film directed by Adonis Kyrou.

What it’s about. One of filmmaker and expatriate writer Adonis Kyrou's best-known quotes translates roughly as "I urge you: Learn to look at 'bad' films, they are so often sublime." The same could be said of Kyrou's own directorial work in Greece before the advent of the 1967 dictatorship forced him to flee to Paris. This confused mess, the first cinematic attempt at portraying the Greek resistance in WWII, caused quite a stink upon release, as much for its surprising style (recalling that of Bertolt Brecht) as for its subject matter. Reaction to its screening as part of the 1966 Cannes Film Festival's International Critic's Week was heated and divisive, proving Kyrou's later statement by rising above its own inherent silliness to achieve a sort of rarefied critical status. It's bad drama that nonetheless succeeds by dint of audacity more than quality (a comment which could apply equally to the work of many exploitation directors like Jean Rollin whom Kyrou later so lovingly profiled).

Who’s in it. The Roundup stars Kostas Kazakos as Kosmas, Xenia Kalogeropoulou as Antigoni, Alexandra Ladikou as Myrto and Giannis Fertis, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.5/10, The Roundup has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Roundup page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Roundup tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.