Profanação

Glittering locales plus a decadent touch of Old Hollywood highlight this melodrama about a Greek shipping magnate who needs his estranged 24-year-old son's help in completing a business merger; he asks his second wife to fly out to England and talk sensibly to the boy, but instead a flirtation develops between stepmother and stepson. After a sequence of indescribably lusty lovemaking, the wife calls off the affair--but just as quickly changes her mind, spiraling into an obsessive love for the junior stud. The film's beautiful visuals are such a pleasure to take in, it's almost easy to overlook the movie's main flaw: that lazily-rich and chic Melina Mercouri would never turn away her powerful, handsome, adoring husband for this kid, a ne'er-do-well artist and economics school drop-out! That being said, Anthony Perkins does the stepson role justice; he keeps his mouth too tight (in a grimace) and his eyes are too busy, but Perkins has a charming ambiance here--especially in the early part of the picture--a boyish nervousness which suits the film well. As Mercouri's hairy-chested husband, Raf Vallone seems more Melina's speed, yet she turns away from him like a frigid housewife. It doesn't quite play; however, each actor handles the escalating tensions of the plot with surprising seriousness, leading to a tragic finale which really appears heartfelt. An emotional rollercoaster, "Phaedra" is gorgeously shot by Jacques Natteau, blissfully scored by Mikis Theodorakis, and soap fans should eat it up. *** from ****

I saw this movie as a double feature with Black Orpheus in San Francisco in 1963. Anthony Perkins and Melina Mercouri provide brilliant performances. Perkins is excellent as a young sensitive, melancholy, neurotic who has a fatal relationship with an older very wealthy married Mercouri. She buys him a grey Italian sports car and begins a love affair with him. The double whammy effect of Black Orpheus' tragic love story on top of the potently impossible love story in Phaedra had me reeling for days. Wish it was available on video.

The powerful Greek shipowner and constructor Thanos (Raf Vallone) proposes to marry Phaedra (Melina Mercouri) during the baptism of a ship with her name. Phaedra, who is the daughter of Thanos'greatest competitor, is a bored woman and has a son from her first marriage. Thanos gives an expensive ring to Phaedra and soon he learns that his estranged son from his first marriage, Alexis (Anthony Perkins), has left the University of Economics in London to dedicate to paint. Thanos asks Phaedra to travel to London to bring Alexis to meet him in Greece. When Phaedra meets Alexis, she falls in love with her stepson and seduces him. Their doomed love affair leads the family to a tragedy.

"Phaedra" is a melodrama directed by Jules Dassin with his mate and future wife Melina Mercouri in the lead role. The storyline is based on the tragic story of Phaedra from the Greek mythology and this tale of obsession could have been a soap opera in the hands of another director. Last but not the least, the performances, locations and soundtrack are great. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Profanação" ("Profanity")

I first saw Phaedra almost 40 years ago and still check the Radio Times most

weeks in the hope that it will resurface! I too find it hard to understand why the film seems to have disappeared so completely. Does the critical response at the time of its first release still sour selectors minds?

I would also love to see this movie again. I enjoyed it immensely in 1963 and several times more during the Sixties. The BBC showed a copy in 1970 and the last sighting was in 1980 at the National Film Theatre in London, during a Jules Dassin season. The performances of Melina, Tony Perkins and Raf Vallone are incredible and there is the wonderful music of Theodorakis – thankfully still available. Phaedra, where are you?