Based on a true story that unfolded in the summer of 1999 Omiros a.k.a Hostage (2005) follows the tragic fate of an Albanian immigrant in Greece who hijacks a bus full of passengers in a self-described "attempt to reclaim his honor". The man also demands a ransom of half a million euros and a safe exit through the Greek-Albanian border. In approximately forty eight hours he is shot dead a few hundred miles away from his home town.

Dry, at times unnecessary flashy, and unfocussed Greek director Constantine Giannaris' picture is a perplexing attempt in originality with few, if any, redeeming qualities. Using a well-publicized event that paralyzed the Greek state in 1999 Hostage does not provide an illuminating explanation of the tragedy it depicts, it rather blows out of proportion what those familiar with the ethnic tensions between Greeks and Albanians already know.

The core of Hostage is built upon a web of half-decent memory flashback which the main protagonist Senia (Stathis Papadopoulos) recalls during the course of his "honor reclamation". It becomes obvious that the Albanian man has entered Greece illegally, worked on the black market, and had an affair with the wife of his boss. As a result he is set up in a shady weapons deal where a group of corrupted cops, the man whose wife the immigrant has had an affair with included, have their way with him culminating in an ugly rape scene. All of this triggers the unfortunate event Hostage reconstructs.

There are probably a half dozen reasons I can point out to you why this film does not impress. The most obvious ones however are bad acting and poor direction!

Yet, this was not what turned me off!

What did was the strange, rancid smell coming off of Giannaris' work! I watched the story unfold and could not believe some of the dubious statements the Greek director unleashes. In a manner that is neither sly nor delicate Hostage presents a biased view of the tragic event masked with some laughable excuses gravitating around the we Greeks understand mark! Then it quickly draws a thick line making sure the viewer understand precisely how civilized Greece is and how barbaric Albanians are!

If you happen to be living thousands and thousands of miles away from Greece and believe that white-clad Gods are still roaming the Parthenon then the drama in Hostage is indeed easy to decipher - there is black, there is white, and a morally satisfying finale. Picture perfect, just as Hollywood makes them!

If you however have even the tiniest of knowledge as to what fuels the hatred between Greeks and Albanians and then see the message Hostage delivers you might feel a different breeze out of Giannaris' work. In fact it is likely that you would feel precisely as I did: disgusted!

How Does the DVD Look?

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and enhanced for widescreen TV's the film looks very good. Koch Lorber Films have provided yet another satisfying print where contrast is largely well-handled, colors look accurate, and edge-enhancement is rather tolerable. I did not detect any disturbing dots, marks, or print scratches. This also happens to be a properly converted print and as such when viewed through a progressive set it appears quite strong.

How Does the DVD Sound?

Presented with its original language track of mixed Greek and Albanian in DD 2.0 the audio is indeed very good. I could not detect any hissing or dropouts and as far as I am concerned the treatment by Koch Lorber Films serves Hostage adequately. With optional English subtitles.

Extras: Aside from the original theatrical trailer what you will find on this DVD is a near 30-minute long Making of Featurette where multiple on-location shots as well as behind the scenes footage are used to provide the mandatory inside-look that accompanies so many DVD releases nowadays. This being said there are also a few very short comments by those involved in Hostage that address the filming process.

Final Words:

The below average acting and directing aside Hostage is a loaded film that plays a strange game of political correctness where even though it aspires to present a balanced look at a great tragedy it actually delivers a very shallow, biased, and insulting message. With the religious hatred and xenophobia the Balkans are charged this Greek production veers off in the wrong direction.