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Electra

Play trailer Poster for Electra Released Dec 1, 1962 1h 50m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 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?
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Electra

Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 Full Review Audience Member Somewhere between the triumph of Iphigenia and the travesty of The Trojan Women. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/20 Full Review Audience Member so so sword n sandal pic Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews
Electra

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Movie Info

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
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