Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Moderate
- austere
- haunting
- esoteric
- arthouse film night
- mythology deep dive
What critics said
Critics broadly recognize an ambitious, visually astonishing, and unconventional mythic adaptation anchored by Maria Callas’s commanding presence, while remaining divided over its pacing and esoteric distance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Medea’s priestly identity, the Golden Fleece ritual, and the community’s crop-protecting worship structure the film’s worldview.
Medea’s departure from her native ritual world and her collision with Jason’s Greek rationality drive the central cultural tension.
Location shooting, archaic landscapes, and Pasolini’s use of non-professional actors create a deliberately elemental texture.
Medea abandons her beliefs for Jason, is deserted and banished, and plots revenge against the order that rejects her.
Films like Medea, and why
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
mythic drama, ritualized imagery, and a visually radical reinterpretation of classical source material
The Color of Pomegranates
archaic landscapes, symbolic staging, and philosophical conflict between sacred tradition and modern rationality
The Sacrifice
tragic mythmaking, stylized violence, and an austere vision of ancient cultural conflict
The Night of the Hunter
literary tragedy, elemental landscapes, and psychologically intense female-centered revenge
Movie Details
- Director
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Release Date
- 1969-12-28
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (195)
Cast
- Maria Callas
- Massimo Girotti
- Laurent Terzieff
- Giuseppe Gentile
- Margareth Clémenti
- Paul Jabara
- Gerard Weiss
- Sergio Tramonti
- Luigi Barbini
- Gian Paolo Durgar
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Medea about?
- A visually elemental and philosophically charged reimagining of Medea’s betrayal, exile, and catastrophic revenge.
- What is Medea like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Medea as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is Medea violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Medea as moderate.
- What did critics think of Medea?
- Critics broadly recognize an ambitious, visually astonishing, and unconventional mythic adaptation anchored by Maria Callas’s commanding presence, while remaining divided over its pacing and esoteric distance.
- Which films are like Medea?
- Films with a similar feel include The Gospel According to St. Matthew, The Color of Pomegranates, The Sacrifice, and The Night of the Hunter.
- How long is Medea?
- Medea runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Medea?
- In United States, Medea streams on Criterion Channel.
