The late Michael Cacoyannis, best known for his 1964 classic Zorba the Greek, was one of Greece's greatest filmmakers. His 1977 Iphigenia was the third in a trilogy of features—following 1962's Electra and 1971's The Trojan Women—adapted from the work of classic Greek dramatist Euripides. Based on the tragedy Iphigenia at Aulis, the story finds troubled King Agamemnon (Costas Kazakos) being told by a oracle that he must sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia (Tatiana Papamoskou) to appease the gods and remove a curse that is preventing the king's ships from sailing into war with Troy. This scenario turns Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra (played by the legendary Irene Papas) against him, and the rest, as they say, is history. Although eliminating the chorus, Cacoyannis otherwise stays true to the source, presenting a full-on period drama in grand yet gritty fashion (including a grisly animal slaughter sequence). While the film's large scale sometimes threatens to overpower the deeper anti-war message, it's still easy to see why Iphigenia earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language film. Highly recommended. (P. Morehart)
Iphigenia
Olive, 130 min., not rated, in Greek w/English subtitles, DVD: $24.95, Blu-ray: $29.95 Volume 31, Issue 5
Iphigenia
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