Review of Iphigenia (1977) by Arianeta L — 02 Jul 2016

'Iphigenia' is the great achievement of Greek Director Michalis Kakoyannis (who died a few days ago 25-7-11). This wonderful film is masterfully adapted for the screen and brought to life by a wonderful cast. Kakoyannis achieved the impossible. He managed to film a Greek tragedy to screen without losing its effectiveness and importance. A great Greek cast helps him in this. Tatiana Papamoschou (newcomer) is extremely impressive as Iphigenia. Equally impressive is Irene Papas, who even though she sometimes seems over the top, it is very realistic. A wonderful Greek film beautifully adapted and directed by Michael Kakoyannis, with an excellent music score by Mikis Theodorakis which is ideal in every scene.

This film and the story it narrates offer considerable insight into the lost world of ancient Greek thought that was the crucible for so much of our modern civilization. It teaches us much about ourselves as individuals and as social and political creatures. Euripides questions the value of war and patriotism when measured against the simple virtues of family and love, and reflects on woman's vulnerable position in a world of manly violence. In his adaptation of Euripides' tragedy, Kakoyannis revisits all of these themes with a modern, clear, and dramatic fashion.

And the big question: Is it a sacrifice or a murder, and how can we tell the difference between the two? By focusing on the violent and primitive horror of a human sacrifice--and, worst of all, the sacrifice of one's own child - Euripides/Kakoyannis creates a drama that is at once deeply political and agonizingly personal. It touches on a most complex and delicate ethical problem facing any society: the dire conflict between the needs of the individual versus those of the society. In the case of Iphigenia, however, as in the Biblical tale of Abraham and Isaac, the father is asked to kill his own child, by his own hand. What sort of God would insist on such payment? Can it be just or moral, even if divinely inspired? Finally, does the daughter's sacrificial death differ from the deaths of all the sons and daughters who are being sent to war? These are many deep questions raised by a two-hour film.