Oedipus the King
Edipo rey
1968 · United Kingdom
- Director
- Philip Saville
- Cinematography
- Walter Lassally
- Production company
- Universal Pictures
- Based on
- Oedipus Rex
Cast
What it is about
A 1968 British adaptation of Sophocles' tragedy, directed and co-written by Philip Saville. Christopher Plummer plays Oedipus, a king who looks into the calamity afflicting Thebes while the seer Tiresias and the Chorus warn him of what he may uncover.
How it was made
The screenplay follows Paul Roche's translation made directly from the Greek. Going beyond the stage play, it includes a flashback showing the murder of King Laius. Filming began in August 1967 in Epirus, Greece, and much of the picture was shot in an ancient amphitheatre at Dodona, now an archaeological site. Many cast members came from the Royal Shakespeare Company. It is Saville's first theatrical film and keeps a strongly stage-bound tone.
Reception and legacy
It opened in the United Kingdom in June 1968 but was not seen in Europe or the United States until the 1970s and 1980s, which made it something of a rarity. Critics were divided: New York Magazine called it "almost comical", Leonard Maltin considered it useful mainly for students, while the Illustrated London News praised its cinematic fluidity.
Trivia
Dubbed voice
Although Donald Sutherland plays the leader of the Chorus, his voice was dubbed by Valentine Dyall.
An ancient setting
Much of the shoot took place in an ancient amphitheatre that is now an archaeological site.
RSC actors
Many members of the cast came from the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.