Le roi Oedipe

Understandably they wanted big names but movie actors aren't necessarily able to play ancient drama. Plummer and Palmer are struggling here, Welles on the other hand is surprisingly good.

Sophocles' ancient play "Oedipus Rex" is brought to the screen in this 1968 version, "Oedipus the King". The language is rather modern...which makes sense because the ancient Greek play was translated into English. However, the style of the film is much like an ancient Greek play...with choruses, stilted language and a dramatic style which has long passed. I know that some might be shocked to hear this, but I'd MUCH rather see a version of the story of Oedipus with a modern style and language...one which seems less like a 2500 year-old play. To heighten this ancient look, it was actually filmed at an ancient Greek ampitheater! This was cool BUT I think most others would feel the same way about wanting a more modern production, as the play is for a small, select sort of audience.

The film started poorly, with a blurry set of slide appearing on the screen along with the credits. It just looked cheap. As for the story itself, it is incredible that so many great actors are in it...with Christopher Plummer in the lead. Oddly, a young Donald Sutherland is in the film BUT he's dubbed with someone else's voice! Folks back in 1968 might not have noticed but the weird voice is jarring for folks watching today.

In some ways, this 1968 film is admirable, as they obviously tried to make something special. But it's also SLOW and DULL...which shouldn't be since the actually story itself if pretty cool. Only for select folks...and a film I did not particularly enjoy watching.

The most rewarding quality of this film is the fact that Sophocles is left untouched - there has been no cuts in the text, as the film follows the drama closely with meticulous fidelity. Another great asset is the stylishness, which is just perfect - bringing the spectator back to very ancient times of Greece, with a rugged landscape and no spectacular additions to the basics of Greek drama.

The actors are all outstanding. Lilli Palmer as the only woman makes perhaps the greatest impression, but all the others are perfect also, like Christopher Plummmer as Oidipus, Donald Sutherland as the chorus leader, Orson Welles as the blind prophet Teiresias and several others. It is very seldom you get the chance to see a Greek drama on film so perfectly genuine and faithful to the ancient genre of Greek tragedy.

An adaptation gifted with so many and precious virtues, from Christopher Plummer as powerful and , in same measure, so vulnerable Oedip, to monumental Tiresias proposed by Orson Welles and a Donald Sutherland as leader of choir , being a profound pleasant surprise.

But the top of film is the performance of trully inspired Lilli Pamer as impressive Jocasta.

It is a play known from childhood, who, starting with sophocles and the work of George Enescu, was one of sources of questions, doubts and games of perspectives about life from my early ages.

This play, including for location and for admirabe scenes of death of Laius, is just a gem.

Sophocles on cinema is a delight; but with a dream cast that includes the lovely, talented Lili Palmer, the great Orson Welles, the charming Cyril Cusack, the arresting Donald Sutherland in a most unusual role, and of course stalwarts Christopher Plummer and Richard Johnson, the effect can be heady.

I recommend the film to anyone who cares for drama and acting. I am amused that the film has not been marketed intelligently by the studios and remains unseen by many who would have loved to see the film.

The scenes where Oedipus unknowingly kills his own father is captured on film in a truly remarkable way, suggesting the fleeting moment where recognition between father and son is totally implausible.

Jocasta's (Lili Palmer) performance is top notch--probably her best role ever. Cyril Cusack, Orson Welles, and Donald Sutherland add additional flavour to this remarkable effort.

I have always wondered why the famous cinematographer Walter Lassally did not choose to film the movie in the letterbox or cinemascope format, which would have given the subject an epic sweep it deserved. The format used by Lassally restricted the film to the level of a play on film rather than cinema capturing the great play on celluloid. Even with this fault, the film will remain one of my favourites. I commend Phillip Saville for his casting--bringing together great actors on both sides of the Atlantic.

I doubt if the ancient Greeks could have enjoyed the play any better than on a technicolor screen with special effects.