Oedipus Rex
Pier Paolo Pasolini transforms the Oedipus myth into a stark, visually arresting tragedy about prophecy, identity, and destructive parental fear.
Overview
A tragic tale of fate and family unfolds in ancient times, where destiny weaves a dark path.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- austere
- foreboding
- mythic
- arthouse film night
- classic cinema study
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Pasolini's adaptation as a powerful and visually distinctive modernization of Sophocles' tragedy, strengthened by its mythic atmosphere and production design.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film begins with a pre-war Italian family and shifts into the ancient Oedipus narrative, making autobiography and myth resonate across eras.
The oracle's prediction motivates Edipo's flight from Corinth and his efforts to avoid killing his father and marrying his mother.
Desert landscapes, ceremonial movement, and production design turn the ancient setting into a stark symbolic world rather than naturalistic history.
Edipo believes the Corinthian royal couple are his parents and does not recognize the older man he kills or the woman he marries as central figures in his prophecy.
Films like Oedipus Rex, and why
Medea
mythic tragedy, psychologically charged family conflict, and stylized arthouse filmmaking
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
adaptation of ancient tragedy through modernist visual language and existential themes
The Sacrifice
formal experimentation, fatalism, and psychologically intense treatment of a legendary protagonist
Black Orpheus
classical mythology reframed through striking locations, ritualized performances, and tragic destiny
Movie Details
- Director
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Release Date
- 1967-09-07
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (373)
Cast
- Franco Citti
- Silvana Mangano
- Alida Valli
- Carmelo Bene
- Julian Beck
- Luciano Bartoli
- Francesco Leonetti
- Ahmed Belhachmi
- Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia
- Giandomenico Davoli
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Oedipus Rex about?
- Pier Paolo Pasolini transforms the Oedipus myth into a stark, visually arresting tragedy about prophecy, identity, and destructive parental fear.
- What is Oedipus Rex like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Oedipus Rex as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Oedipus Rex violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Oedipus Rex as moderate.
- What did critics think of Oedipus Rex?
- Critics broadly regard Pasolini's adaptation as a powerful and visually distinctive modernization of Sophocles' tragedy, strengthened by its mythic atmosphere and production design.
- Which films are like Oedipus Rex?
- Films with a similar feel include Medea, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, The Sacrifice, and Black Orpheus.
- How long is Oedipus Rex?
- Oedipus Rex runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Oedipus Rex?
- In United States, Oedipus Rex streams on Criterion Channel.
