OEDIPUS THE KING

UK, 1968, 94 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Plummer, Lilli Palmer, Donald Sutherland, Orson Welles, Roger Livesey, Richard Johnson, Cyril Cusack.
Directed by Philip Saville.

Oedipus the King is a cinema version of Sophocles' classic play. Tyrone Guthrie had directed a Canadian version in the '50s with Douglas Rain (whose voice was used for Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey) in the central role. Pier Paolo Pasolini had also made a version in the late 1960s. This film was directed by Philip Saville, a stage director whose films include Stop The World, I Want To Get off. Christopher Plummer brings stage prestige and technique to the central role. There is an international cast in support - sometimes with strange effect - Orson Welles' American Teiresias, Lilli Palmer's Austrian Jocasta, Cyril Cusack's Irish brogue and Roger Livesey's English style. Canadian Donald Sutherland has been dubbed as leader of the chorus. The film is beautifully produced, filmed on Greek locations. The text is delivered well, although the film has a static atmosphere about it. A film that is of interest for students of Greek drama. Other versions of Sophocles include Michael Cacoyannis' Electra with Irene Papas. Comparisons might be made with Cacoyannis' version of The Trojan Women and Iphigenia.

1. The status of Sophocles as classic dramatist? The traditions of Greek tragedy and their conventions? Sophocles insight into human nature? Fate and the Gods? The classical forms of Greek tragedy - unity of time, place, action? The central characters? The chorus? The speeches, the recitatives and songs? The artificial nature of Greek theatre and audience acceptance of this? The devices of masks, chorus, poetry?

2. The adaptation of Sophocles for the cinema screen? The use of locations and well-known cast adding realism to conventions? The pruning of the text? The adaptation to particular styles of filming e.g. close-up, long shot?

3. The colour photography, location photography? Sets, decor, costumes. The presentation of the chorus and its leader? The musical score?

4. Audience knowledge of Greek myths and legends? The nature of the Gods, oracles and fate? Greece and the city states, Thebes? The relative importance of Thebes, Corinth, Athens? Man and his freedom, man as victim of fate? Suffering and its meaning? The exploration of themes of human nature via myth? The Oedipus story and its classic status? The hero who becomes victim? The murder of father, the marriage of mother? The innocent bringer of evil on his people? The man who has to atone and rid his people of evil? (The basis for Freud's interpretation of family relationships in the light of this legend?)

5. The film's giving information about Greek mythology and the Gods, the background of the characters? The use of symbols, masks? Voices? Audience acceptance of the devices?

6. The role of the chorus - the ordinary people and their comments on the action and characters, the children? The priests and their support? Comment on action and themes?

7. The presentation of Thebes as a powerful city, kingdom? The plague situation? The oracle? Kreon and his visit to the oracle? Attitude towards Oedipus? Oedipus as king, well-liked ruler. his attitude towards suffering the plague, the oracle? His pledging himself to seek out the cause of evil?

8. Christopher Plummer's interpretation of Oedipus - strength, bearing, nobility, pathos? His articulate expression of the poetry? The people's regard for Oedipus? His response to the children? To Kreon? The oracle? Teiresias and his outburst? His need for escape? The build up to the revelation of the truth? His anguish as he interrogated all speakers? The realisation of fate pointing to him? His relationship to Jocasta and the irony of the solution to the problem of Thebes? The interaction with the chorus?

9. The film's explaining the story of Oedipus - as a child, the oracle for his parents, the old man taking him to Corinth, his being rescued, his parents in Corinth, his hearing of the oracles and his return to Thebes? The flashbacks indicating the clash with Laius and his death? The marriage to Jocasta? The inexorable movement of the play towards Oedipus and his having to accept blame?

10. The portrait of Laius and the flashbacks? The repetition of the flashback till the building up of the identity of the killer?

11. Jocasta and her love for Oedipus, her place as Queen, her attitude towards the oracle, memories of Laius? Fate closing in on Jocasta and her hanging herself?

12. The background of Kreon and his waiting in the wings to take power, his attitude towards Oedipus?

13. Oedipus and his acknowledgement of the truth, the tragedy of his plucking out his eyes? Symbolic blindness and darkness? Antigone and her relationship to her father, reverence for her father? Kreon's decrees and Antigone's disobedience?

14. The build-up to the finale? The final comments on the tragedy unfolding before the audience?

15. The quality of Sophocles' poetry - majesty, measured language, imagery? The nobility of Oedipus and his family and the experience of suffering? How well did the film indicate the classic status of Sophocles' play?