Oedipus the King (1968 film)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Oedipus the King is a 1968 film directed by Philip Saville based on the Athenian tragedy Oedipus the King by Sophocles. The film boasts an all-star cast, including Christopher Plummer as Oedipus, Lilli Palmer as Jocasta, Orson Welles as Tiresias, Richard Johnson as Creon, Roger Livesey as the Shepherd, and Donald Sutherland as the leading Member of the Chorus. Sutherland's voice, however, was dubbed by another actor. Filmed in Greece at a ruined Greek theatre in Dodoni, it was not seen in Europe and the U.S. until the 1970s and 1980s after legal release and distribution rights were granted to video and TV and was considered a rare film.
Saville's first theatrical effort, the film remained theatrical in nature, and is known for its intensive dialogue typical of an ancient play. However, the film went a step further than the play, by actually showing, in flashback, the murder of Laius (Friedrich Ledebur). It also showed Oedipus and Jocasta in bed together, making love.
Cast
- Christopher Plummer as Oedipus
- Lilli Palmer is Jocasta
- Richard Johnson as Creon
- Orson Welles as Tiresias
- Cyril Cusack as Messenger
- Roger Livesey as Shepherd
- Donald Sutherland as Chorus Leader
- Friedrich von Ledebur as King Laius
- Dimos Starenios as Priest
- Alexis Mann as Palace Official
- Oenone Luke as Antigone
- Cressida Luke as Xemene
- Minos Argyrakis as Chorus
- Manos Destounis as Chorus
- George Dialegmenos as Chorus
