Electra (1962 film)



Electra (Ηλέκτρα Ilektra) is a 1962 Greek film based on the play Electra, written by Euripides. It was directed by Michael Cacoyannis, as the first installment of his "Greek tragedy" trilogy, followed by The Trojan Women in 1971 and Iphigenia in 1977. It starred Irene Papas in the lead role as Elektra, and Giannis Fertis as Orestis.

Plot
After King Agamemnon is murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover and relative Aegisthus, the daughter Electra decides to get even, with the help of her brother Orestes and his cousin Pylades. They attack Aegisthus at a festival to Bacchus and invite Clytemnestra to Electra's house where, despite the fact that she is his mother, they stab her to death as well. At the end, however, the siblings find that they feel only grief and remorse for their actions.

Cast

 * Irene Papas as Elektra
 * Giannis Fertis as Orestes
 * Aleka Katselli as Klytaemnistra
 * Manos Katrakis as the tutor
 * Notis Peryalis as Elektra's husband
 * Fivos Razi as Aegisthus
 * Takis Emmanuel as Pylades
 * Theano Ioannidou as chorus leader
 * Theodoros Dimitriou (Theodore Demetriou) as Agamemnon
 * Elsie Pittas as young Elektra
 * Petros Ampelas as young Orestes

Awards
The film was entered into the 1962 Cannes Film Festival where it won the award of Best Cinematic Transposition. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film also won three awards in Thessaloniki Film Festival, for best film and best director (Michalis Cacoyannis) and best actress (Irene Papas).