Phaedra (1962)

Good concept, poorly executed.

Fantastic!

Awesome Movie

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Hold on to your seats---I am about to say something rather mean. Although Melina Mercouri often played sexy ladies in the 1960s, I always thought she was highly...well...not sexy (I am trying to be nice here). So, seeing her as a super-desirable vixen in a film like "Phaedra" has its work cut out for it, as I just found this aspect of the film very difficult to believe (Anthony Perkins was far more believable in his role of a heterosexual in this film). Apparently once again, the fine director, Jules Dassin, felt compelled to put his girlfriend (and later, wife) in such a leading role. I know it's all rather nasty...but I couldn't help but think this as this classical story was retold. However, despite all this, the film was, at times, very sexy--showing the director did have a lot of skill (Dassin made several amazingly good films during his great career).Like various ancient versions of "Phaedra", the story is about a young man falling in love with his step-mother. In this film, this didn't quite work, as the pair seemed to very inexplicably fall for each other--and way too quickly. In some of the classical versions, the pair was cursed by the gods--and that is why they fell madly in love. I think this latter way of writing the story actually works a lot better and makes this mad love seem more convincing. The sour note was the ending--Anthony Perkins seemed to overact a bit at the very end. Otherwise, an interesting reinterpretation of the old story--and worth seeing.

Saw Phaedra as a teen in 1962 and have been haunted by the final scenes ever since; specifically, the organ music piece playing as Perkins drives the car. What is that piece, ie, BWV# of that Bach music? I have been trying to re-hear that for many years. Anybody know? Many thnx for an answer.The chariot/car was an Aston-Martin DB3, one of the few credible British critiques of/responses to Enzo Ferrari's exuberant creations of that era. Sean Connery's James Bond drove a DB5, iirc.Of course, Melina Mercouri was totally hot to an early 60s male teen, with a proper can on her, unlike today's androgynous anorexic sylphs...(superfluous lines added to fulfill commenting requirements)

In answer to rrrascall's questions, first the music is Bach's organ Toccata in F Major, BWV 540. Forty-plus years ago when I was in college, the original track recording phonograph album (anyone remember LPs?), which I never owned, was probably one of the most played film records in dorm and fraternity house, because the movie was so sensationally "adult" and torrid, especially for the atmosphere of those dim dark days of the early to mid-sixties (pre- Vietnam era) in the Bible Belt USA where my college was located. Besides, the score by Mikis Theodorakis was superb and the effect of the music served to turn up the temperature of the sex scenes. We randy young men flocked to the film's annual screening in the town's independent "art film" cinema.Second, my failing memory tells me that the record was released on the United Artists label but this may be totally erroneous.As I write this post, news of Jules Dassin's passing has been announced, and curiously the NY Times and NY Sun did not list "Phaedra" among the director's films.

From the opening scene with Phaedra (Melina Merouri) seen through a well-filtered lens, her head swathed in a net type turban, she was never more beautiful. No course features, just a gorgeous woman.The fireplace love scene/seduction lives in my memory forever, same as the scene with Perkin's screaming down the twisted highway in the expensive sports car as we hear Bach's music thundering in our ears..One part I've not heard anyone talk about is Mercouri's relationship with her female "companion" played as I recall, by Olympia Papakadas sp?..as Phaedra prepares for an afternoon nap. Until that scene, I could never understand a woman/woman relationship but it was so beautifully done, from then on I did have understanding.I've looked for decades trying to find this film to purchase..no luck. Hope one day it will be made available!