How painfully true was John Simon's critical summary for 'Phaedra'; "Unfortunately Unforgettable". When I experienced this work as an impressionable youth going through the turmoils of young love and relationships it left me shattered. I knew I was in for a tour-de-force the instant that electrifying scream rang out before the main title! (sure would like to know who the creative genius was that came up with that stunning idea...don't believe I'd ever seen or heard that done before!) Here was my dream, a profound, life changing love - but with one huge problem it was doomed. The power of this film lies in the political connections that gave it birth. Firstly; director (Dassin) who had been hunted out of the homeland of his birth, never to return. Then his romantic involvement with a politically passionate Greek woman (Mercouri), born into a heavily political family in Athens and who would herself eventually be forced out of Greece. Add to this the politically persecuted Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis who, as with Dassin, was forced to flee his native country. This crew alone represented a powerful force of creative people with something to say! It's little wonder the first meeting between Phaedra and her stepson takes place in the British Historical Museum, in front of fragments of the Elgin Marbles, the Marbles that Mercouri would later devote so much time fighting for their return to Greece (a Greece that was also foolish enough to let many valuable artefacts go for monetary gain) Looking back at this great movie, my main regret is that almost none of those that make up the characters of Phaedra are particularly likable. We have overly rich and powerful people that live only for becoming richer. They are bored with themselves and are too often motivated towards immoral 'games' to alleviate boredom at the emotional expense of others.Deviating from our basic understanding of acceptable loving human relationships, all too often results in disaster, and here, the disaster builds like a tidal wave - one situation cascades from another like an avalanche. Apart from a basis in classic Greek literature (the pen of a man known as one of the most tragic of poets) Euripides' 'Hippolytus', what else makes Phaedra great? If you take away the astonishingly haunting music of Theodorakis with its song lyrics written by great Greek poet Nikos Gatsos, who helped make famous many melodies by Manos Hadjidakis and songs by Nana Mouskouri, the film would loose half of its considerable impact.Another vital element is the huge contribution of Turkish born lighting/cinematographer: Jacques Natteau known for his famous collaboration with Jean Renoir. Natteau's visuals draw you into each moment with striking emotional impact. On location shooting on the Island of Hydra supplies a grand setting. Hydra at that time was largely an Island without cars (Donkeys were, and still are, used for transport) Dassin either got special permission or used another location for the spectacular scenes involving Alexis' Aston Martin 'dream' car. Under Dassin's gifted direction these elements forge together an unforgettable cinematic experience.Melina Mercouri for me, is far from beautiful, and this stretched believability in the rapid seduction of young Alexsis just a little, but as described within the film... she has unique facial and physical qualities. The intense Anthony Perkins turns in a strong performance as the vulnerable, disintegrating, Alexis. Raff Vallone also delivers both a powerful and devastating performance as the shockingly betrayed Husband and Father. This is super strong storytelling that will haunt the sensitive viewer for many years. Yes Mr Simon, for any of it's regrets, it remains 'unforgettable'. Footnote: How tragic it is that the best arrangement/performance of the main theme music (with Oboe), was never included on any of the 'original' sound track recordings. With the 'Main Title' being the first thing you hear in the film (after that shock scream that is!), why would you leave it off!? I imagine the only person still alive that could explain would be Mr Theodorakis, and while it would be interesting, it's rather unlikely to happen. Not withstanding, it has taken over 50 years for MGM/UA to finally make this film available on a quality 'studio' DVD, so, small miracles do happen! KenR

This story of a woman falling in love with the son of her husband from a previous marriage is an updating of an ancient story from Greek mythology to contemporary times. The premise is certainly worthy to be the basis for great tragedy, but this attempt falls a bit short.I first saw this movie in the early 1960s when I was in college and it made quite an impression on me. The fact that I remember the story and some scenes (particularly the love scene, which seems tame by modern standards) speaks well for it. But on seeing it again recently after almost fifty years its impact was much less. Maybe I originally identified with the young Alexis (Anthony Perkins) and envied his life of luxury and opportunity, but on second viewing I saw Perkins as miscast, being rather weak and ineffectual. I found that, as Phaedra, Melina Mercouri had not lost her smoldering sexiness for me. Could such a woman, used to moving among the rich and powerful in the Greek shipping industry, really fall so obsessively in love with such a callow youth of twenty-four? Alexis admitted that his affair with Phaedra was his first love affair--would such a sexually inexperienced young man be able to satisfy the worldly Phaedra? Could you picture Perkins taking over his father's shipping empire and doing all the necessary wheeling and dealing to make of go of that? I just could not buy Perkins in this role.Having said that, there are some great scenes. Both Phaedra and Alexis recognized the danger of their being together after their passionate lovemaking during Phaedra's trip to London. Both recognized the wisdom of having Alexis staying London and Phaedra in Greece. But Phaedra's husband Thanos (Raf Vallone in a good performance) wanted his estranged son to come to Greece and learn the business and he put serious pressure on Phaedra to coax him to come. A pivotal and intense scene has the conflicted Phaedra on the phone pleading with Alexis to come to Greece, knowing full well that she was inviting tragedy.The film quality on the DVD is quite good. The black and white photography is effective and occasionally striking. For example, the scene that has the crowd of women in their black cowls with their white faces starting at the camera while Phaedra barges through dressed in all white is inspired. As might be expected the score by Mikis Theodorakis adds much to the atmosphere.

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.

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.