Ilektra

As an adaptation of a two thousand year old Greek tragedy, Michael Cacoyannis' "Electra" is hard to beat, and I cannot imagine it being improved upon by any further attempt on it now: there is a stripped down starkness and simplicity to it that benefits it greatly, and lends it the haunting quality of myth that no amount of CGI could better.

It has immaculately brooding, glowing cinematography, unsurpassably shot amid the ancient stones of Mycenae itself, and the music by Mikis Theodorakis (of Zorba The Greek fame) is timeless and perfect.

If I had to point out any weaknesses at all, perhaps Irene Papas in the title role looks a little too 60s in her look, although her acting is fine. There's a couple of gaps in the narrative that should probably have been filmed and inserted, as their absence either weakens the drama or feels confusing. But these are small quibbles.

Several times while watching I found myself thinking it would make a good double bill with Orson Welles' Othello, as it feels cut from a similar cloth, though it is a better film for being less wordy. Recommended.

Euripides is the most 'modern' of the ancient dramatists in terms of his psychological penetration and the motives of his characters. This makes his plays ideally suited to the medium of film. Michael Cacoyannis set about the task of filming an Euripidean trilogy of 'Electra', 'The Trojan Women' and 'Iphigenia' of which 'Electra' is arguably the best. The score of Theodorakis, cinematography of Walter Lassally and a fabulous cast headed by Irene Papas as Electra, Yannis Fertis as Orestes, Aleka Katselli as Clytemnestra and Manos Katrakis as the Tutor all contribute to a stunning and mesmerising filmic experience. Cacoyannis, Lassally and Papas would go on to make 'Zorba the Greek' and Papas would play Helen and Clytemnestra for the same director.

Euripides wrote 'Electra' in about 420 bc and like those other masterpieces of the human mind 'Hamlet' and 'Phaedra', it is for all the ages. Let us be grateful to Cacoyannis for having given us this splendid version. Top marks.

Euripides pared to the essentials. Not one word, not one gesture is wasted. Nor is there ever an iota more than necessary.

A stark, spare study of despair in a sun blasted landscape that seems to watch over the pathetic efforts of humans with equal measures of timeless indifference and utter contempt. The characters in the story, the actors on the screen, and we in audience know what will happen next; but we are all powerless to prevent it. It is so intense that it makes Shakespeare's 'King Lear' seem almost frivolous.

It takes five minutes for the first two words to be spoken. 'Strike him!' Everything flows from that line. Another ten minutes of near silence passes before Electra appears. Her back to the camera, she turns to look over her shoulder - electricity is discharged. The audience gasps. Nothing is said but the implacable will is communicated. Nothing good is going to happen next.

It is almost a silent movie. They certainly have faces, to quote Gloria Graham from 'Sunset Boulevard.' By looks, by camera angles, by gestures, by the tensing of shoulders, the widening of eyes, make-up, fine photography, tight cutting, and very few words the tragedy unfolds.

It is always about Electra, to be sure, and Irene Pappas is a force of nature on the screen. She says little but each move, gesture, look, and word is supercharged.

Recommended for adults.

Slow. Deliberate. Engaging. Mesmerizing. Poetic.

The real star of the show is the exterior shots. The acting, especially by Papas, is deservedly acclaimed. The music score is sumptuous. The minimal dialogue serves to heighten the film-watching experience. But what strikes me dumbfounded is the amazing blocking of the actors...most assuredly by the director...as it mimics true choreography.

One imdB reviewer labels this film a "snorefest". I can understand that opinion if you require something action-oriented. This film is purely cerebral, so don't expect something beyond that.

Oddly enough, my cable provider classifies this film as AO--Adults Only. That rating, also known as NC-17, is reserved for sexual content deemed too explicit to warrant an R rating. Be assured there's absolutely and assuredly nothing explicit about this film. No sex. All violence is implied.

Recommended for cinema junkies.

Do I like this movie because it appeals to my lingering intellectual snobbery and belief that the old-time Greeks, particularly Euripides were onto something? I can't deny that it's part of the reason, but surely the staging and Walter Lassally's striking black-and-white photography and Irene Papas' smoldering performance help. I won't give my customary synopsis, because you shouldn't need it. Nowadays we are no longer familiar with the revenge drama, which fell out of favor after the 16th century, but if you've ever seen Hamlet, you know what it is, with its bloodiness that should soothe our own blood lust. Perhaps we need to make them more often these days, with everyone dying at the end. Perhaps it would ease some of the tensions of modern America; our politics all too often seem to be about hurting the right people; perhaps a dramatic version of the Sandy Hook Massacre would make people think twice. Or perhaps it would make them think "Boy, that's cool!"

Such deep philosophical questions aside, this one is worth it for the stark beauty of the torchlit night scenes, and the ancient, ruined landscape of modern Greece. Plus a heckuva story and performances.