Filmed Versions of Greek Tragedies?

[Hilary]

I'm in the process of reading Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides in preparation for teaching them next year and am wondering if anyone knows of any available filmed versions that stick fairly closely to the way they might have been presented to a Greek audience ... e.g., same type of stage, masks, limited number of actors, chorus ... BUT, in English?

[Alphabetika]

I'm anxious to hear replies to this, too. My dd took an online workshop on Greek tragedies, reading 3 plays in 4 days, and we'd love to see one done as authentically as possible. A local museum is doing "Agamemnon" in September, but the tickets are too $$ for us, so we've been searching for film versions, to no avail. I hope someone chimes in on this one!

[Moira in MA]

We watched a 1957 version of Oedipus Rex when studying ancients. It is available from Netflix. Here's their blurb.

 

Acclaimed actor-director Sir Tyrone Guthrie filmed this 1957 masterpiece production of Sophocles's beloved Greek tragedy. Just as the ancient Greeks performed it, the actors here also wear masks, which add a classic touch. Oedipus Rex, the story of a Greek man who killed his father so he could marry his mother and quench his primal sexual thirst, has for centuries influenced countless plays and films.

[Hilary]

Oedipus Rex, the story of a Greek man who killed his father so he could marry his mother and quench his primal sexual thirst, has for centuries influenced countless plays and films.

 

I love the Freudian "spin" they give to the plot. The whole point of the play was that he DIDN'T know it was his father he was killing or his mother he was bedding! Oh well ... good to know there is at least one version with masks ... hopefully this is Netflix's interpretation of the plot, and the film version stuck to the original story!

[HollyinNNV]

Did you know Stravinsky wrote an opera based on Oedipus Rex?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_rex_(opera)

 

Apparently there is a good video of a production of this, but I have not seen it.

 

I am considering teaching Antigone early in the year and then Oedipus later with the Stravinsky version.

 

Holly

[Moira in MA]

I love the Freudian "spin" they give to the plot. The whole point of the play was that he DIDN'T know it was his father he was killing or his mother he was bedding! Oh well ... good to know there is at least one version with masks ... hopefully this is Netflix's interpretation of the plot, and the film version stuck to the original story!

Yes, it is Netflix's interpretation. In the actual movie, Oedipus is horrified. Should have put tongue in cheek quotes about the blurb, sorry for the omission.

[Janie]

 

Iphigeneia, Agamemnon's daughter he had to sacrifice, is English-subtitled. I had to watch it as a graduate student. Well done and moving. I can't remember any parts to delete for a high school audience. It does not follow your guidelines, but it is an available film.

[HollyinNNV]

I'm in the process of reading Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides in preparation for teaching them next year and am wondering if anyone knows of any available filmed versions that stick fairly closely to the way they might have been presented to a Greek audience ... e.g., same type of stage, masks, limited number of actors, chorus ... BUT, in English?

 

Even if you do not find exactly what you are looking for, an inferior presentation does make for a great discussion.

 

In what ways did the director deviate from the play as Sophocles wrote it? Why do you think he/she did that? What changes might you have made? Had the director stuck to the historical/exact presentation, what difficulties might have ensued. What would have been the challenges to a modern audience?

 

Holly

[HollyinNNV]

This would be a fun version of Antigone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKM4t8EzKoc

Here's a 1984 version of Antigone

http://youtube.com/view_play_list?p=5321CB5DC1092F31

Here's the 1984 Oedipus

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=422B4AD5E82BE89A

HTH

Holly