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Oedipus Rex

Released Sep 3, 1967 1h 50m Drama List
89% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 77% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings
Based on the Greek tragedy about a man who, unaware of his true parentage, kills his father and marries his mother. Read More Read Less

Critics Reviews

View All (9) Critics Reviews
Richard Brody New Yorker Pasolini both humanizes the classical legend and reaches deep into the modern psyche to find its origins in ancient agonies. Dec 31, 2012 Full Review Vincent Canby New York Times It's not always necessary to understand Pasolini to be riveted by what he does. Rated: 4/5 Oct 23, 2007 Full Review Time Out Pasolini's working of the Sophocles tragedy, though not wholly successful, has its very definite strengths. Oct 23, 2007 Full Review Scott Nye Battleship Pretension Pasolini frequently uses those who push themselves to the margins of society to expose our collective and individual weaknesses, and our determination to maintain the image of order. Jun 29, 2023 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Pasolini's rather straightforward style does occasionally mute the film's emotional impact. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 18, 2020 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion Fervid chanting and handheld tracking shots inform Pasolini's jangling, fabulously blunt pageant, filled to the brim with mysterious splendor Nov 22, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (55) audience reviews
isla s This is a very arty film, based on a well known play, with quite a 'folk lore' feel to it. Its certainly pretty quirky and the chronology confused me a bit at times. This is perhaps a pedantic point but the shrill whistle type noise near the start of the film did somewhat 'do my head in' - if you don't like shrill noises, you may want to turn the volume down. There's a fair bit of shouting featured too - loud, energetic wailing type shouting (I can't say I enjoyed that). It has a tribal feel to it in the first part. It's all rather mystical and bizarre. I feel like I should have understood it more than I did...although it does have a certain charm about it, with the townspeople celebrating and things, it is rather bizarre and it does have a biblical feel to it. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review thomas d Striking in its realism, which helps transport the viewer to a far gone time in a way no other movie can. Visually stunning with incredible landscapes, tremendous costumes, and stand out performances by Franco Citti (Oedipus) and Silvana Mangano (Jocasta). Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member There is no doubt that Pasolini is a visionary, and Edipo re does not fail to convey the tragic fatum that guides the hand of its characters, exemplified hauntingly through the hatred and disease that underlies the film (in all of its chapters). The film itself, however, is the victim of its own purported artistry: between the endless symbolism, the purportedly primitive setting, and the dismal audio, Pasolini makes the viewing experience intensely painful for all of the wrong reasons. Repeat viewings have left me more scarred by the ungodly flute music and SNL-sketch melodramatics than the troubling tale of the protagonist. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review william k Engaging, slow-paced retelling of the Greek classic, beautifully set in Moroccan landscape, is framed within a modern story which barely corresponds to the historic tale. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Somehow simultaneously modern and true to Sophocles’s original. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/19/20 Full Review Audience Member A fascinating masterpiece from Pasolini with top notch performances from his actors. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/26/19 Full Review Read all reviews
Oedipus Rex

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Based on the Greek tragedy about a man who, unaware of his true parentage, kills his father and marries his mother.
Director
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Screenwriter
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Production Co
Arco Film S.r.L.
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 3, 1967, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 11, 2016
Runtime
1h 50m