Electra

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Electra

Released Dec 1, 1962

1h 50m

Drama

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2 Reviews

70%

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1,000+ Ratings

When King Agamemnon returns from battle, he is slain by his wife, Clytemnestra (Aleka Katselli), and her lover. The king's son, Orestes (Giannis Fertis), is sent into exile, and his daughter, Electra (Irene Papas), into mourning. Over the years, Electra's hatred of her mother grows, and she bristles with the desire for vengeance. When she and Orestes are reunited, the siblings hatch a plot for revenge. But can they reconcile their need for justice with the act of matricide?

Dwight MacDonald

Esquire Magazine

Mr. Cacoyannis is probably the leading Greek director and so it is a pity that his Electra, although (or perhaps because?) it won several prizes at Cannes, isn't very good.

Aug 2, 2019

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Well acted by Irene Papas, Cacoyannis' adaptation of the famous Greek tragedy was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar.

Rated: B+

Feb 2, 2012

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Audience Member

This is probably Cacoyannis' finest hour when it comes to his tragedy adaptations.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Audience Member

Somewhere between the triumph of Iphigenia and the travesty of The Trojan Women.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/01/20

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Audience Member

so so sword n sandal pic

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

Delightful, with some insignificant flaws. Avid followers of the legendary work by Euripides will find themselves unexpectedly satisfied (well, not anymore if you read this) with the opening sequence, briefly retelling the past events of the story. Irene is the best drama actress Europe has ever laid eyes on. Few filmmakers like Kakogiannis can prolong certain scenes of the play on screen so marvellously. Too bad he relied more on the written theatrical presentation of the original play and adapting such pace to cinema rather than accepting the visually stunning landscapes and facial expressions that were perfectly captured as auxiliary elements of a more traditional celluloid rhythm, like the more conventional and accessible Greek classic <i>Antigoni</i> (1961) by Yorgos Javellas. 96/100

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Audience Member

Hypnotic performance by Irene Papas as Electra, and the artistic use of veiled female bodies is stunning.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

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Audience Member

Irene Papas is Excellent in this movie!!! I enjoyed every moment she was in the scene... Amazing woman! The rest of the actors are also good...

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

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Mihalis Kakogiannis

Director

Irene Papas

Elektra

Aleka Katselli

Klytaemnistra

Giannis Fertis

Orestis

Theano Ioannidou

Chorus Leader

Notis Peryalis

Elektra's Husband

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Synopsis

When King Agamemnon returns from battle, he is slain by his wife, Clytemnestra (Aleka Katselli), and her lover. The king's son, Orestes (Giannis Fertis), is sent into exile, and his daughter, Electra (Irene Papas), into mourning. Over the years, Electra's hatred of her mother grows, and she bristles with the desire for vengeance. When she and Orestes are reunited, the siblings hatch a plot for revenge. But can they reconcile their need for justice with the act of matricide?

Director: Mihalis Kakogiannis
Producer: Mihalis Kakogiannis
Distributor: Lopert Pictures Corp.
Production Co: Finos Film, JN Film
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Greek
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 1, 1962, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 17, 2017
Runtime: 1h 50m