Do you remember the movie titled Iphigenia (1977) based in Greece? Even if you don’t know much about Greek mythology, but only remember the name, of course, you are going to remember the name of a certain leading lady standing right beside the protagonist that was like her godmother. You might be a little confused when you searched for the name in the internet, but here is a guide at your service.
All About Of Iphigenia (1977) Movie FAQs
What Is the Plot of Iphigenia?
In Iphigenia, the main character is Orestes. He kills his mother Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. He then sets out to avenge his father’s death. The play starts with Orestes on the way to Pylos where he meets Electra who is taking care of her brother-in-law Pelops’ tomb.
Orestes has killed his mother and her lover, but Electra persuades him not to kill himself by claiming that he will be cursed for killing someone he loves as well as for murdering an innocent woman like Clytemnestra.
Orestes then goes to Argos where his sister Helen was sold into slavery after being raped by Agamemnon in return for a war against Troy during the Trojan War. She had been rescued by Menelaus, who later married Helen and fathered Nestor, king of Pylos and later Sparta. Menelaus asks Orestes to help him regain control of Sparta from Aegisthus, who has usurped power from Menelaus’ wife Helene (Helen).
Helen returns home after nine years away while Aegisthus has taken over Sparta without Menelaus’ knowledge; she tells Orestes that if he wants revenge on Agamemnon, she can help him get it as long as they can have sex before they die together.
The first half ends with the betrayal of Electra when she betrays her brother-in-law Pelops’ tomb in order to be reunited with Orestes; at this point, she admits that she lied about their reunion being only temporary because they will soon part again but still wishes them
Who Directed This Movie?
Iphigenia was directed by Michael Cacoyannis. This is a classic film with the same title. It is one of the most acclaimed movies ever made in Greece and Costa-Gavras won two Oscars for his work on this movie. This film was based on Sophocles’ play Iphigenia at Aulis which has also been filmed by director Konstantinos Gavriatas and the actor who played Agamemnon, Dimitri Diatchenko won an Oscar for Best Actor in 1969.
The plot revolves around Queen Iphigenia’s death and it shows how she sacrifices herself to save her brother, King Agamemnon from being sacrificed to appease the gods because he failed to help them win a war against Troy during their battle with Paris and Hector, although they had already captured Helen of Sparta as well as many other treasures such as gold, silver, and ivory that were taken back to Greece after the war.
Is It Available on Dvd or Blu-ray?
This is a great question. There are not many movies that I know of that are available on DVD or Blu-ray, but there are some good ones.
I think the best movie to get is The Breakfast Club (1985). It’s a classic and it has an awesome soundtrack as well. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one!
Who Was Iphigenia and What Is Her Tale?
Iphigenia is a princess of the Greek city-state of Aulis. She was born to King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, who in turn were daughter and son of Pelops, the mythical king of Pisa (c. 1100 BC). Iphigenia’s mother was pregnant with her when she married Achilles at Troy during the Trojan War.
Her father returned home from war after 10 years but had been away for many more; he therefore took it upon himself to sacrifice his daughter to ensure that his wife would not bear him any further children. Theophrastus said that Iphigenia’s mother pretended to be mad when her husband came home, so as not to tell him about their child until after his death.
After being sacrificed by her father, Iphigenia was washed ashore on a beach near Aulis and there she was discovered by Artemis and brought up as one of her priestesses, alongside other women like Calypso who were also raised by goddesses or nymphs.
As a young woman she fell in love with Achilles’ charioteer Chryses who had come to ransom his master’s captured horse Briseis from Agamemnon. When Agamemnon refused Chryses’ request for an exchange because he thought that Iphigenia should be given back since she had never been his wife in the first place (she wasn’t), Chryses went mad with grief and decided that only if he could get hold of Achilles’ corpse would he give up hope; having heard this account some years later while serving under Alexander the Great, Homer wrote this scene into “The Odyssey”. According to Euripides’ play
How Old Was Iphigenia When She Was Sacrificed?
Iphigenia was sacrificed when she was between the ages of 15 and 17. This is because in Greek mythology, Iphigenia was a princess of Tauris who lived during the reign of Agamemnon.
The legend says that Iphigenia had to be sacrificed so that her father could take part in the Trojan War. Her mother Clytemnestra also gave birth to Orestes (who killed his mother) and Electra (who helped kill her father).
According to another myth, Iphigenia’s mother Clytemnestra tried to sacrifice her daughter for political reasons, but Artemis saved her by sending a raven with news about her death back home.
Why Was Iphigenia Sacrificed?
Iphigenia was a princess of Greek mythology. She was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and sister to Orestes.
The story is told in the Odyssey, Book 12, lines 1011-1014: “Agamemnon’s daughter Iphigenia at first would not consent to be sacrificed by her father. But when she saw that he had brought the Goddess to Argos and made sacrifice to her on his return home, she could no longer hold out against him.”
There are many other myths like this where some girls or women were forced into sacrificing themselves as an offering to their Gods so they could live longer.
Does Iphigenia Marry Achilles?
Iphigenia marries Achilles, the son of King Priam and his wife Hecuba. She is forced to marry him by her father because of a prophecy that says that a woman who was about to be born would kill all the sons of Troy. She becomes famous for having been saved from death by being sacrificed in a ritual. However, before she is sacrificed, she urges her brother Agamemnon to return home so that he can warn the Trojans about what will happen if they do not leave their city on time.
Her actions convince Agamemnon to change his mind and end up saving the entire army. After being rescued, Iphigenia returns home with her father and brothers and tells them everything that happened in Troy before dying at the age of 18 years old due to grief over losing her brother Orestes (to whom she was betrothed).
Achilles and Iphigenia are reunited when they are both fighting in a war against Agamemnon’s brother Menelaus’ fleet. During this time Achilles develops feelings for Iphigenia but cannot admit it until after she has died during an attack on Troy by Neoptolemus (Menelaus’ son) as revenge for Paris’ death during The Trojan War.
Thanks for reading!
Who Destroyed Troy?
The Greeks, led by Achilles and Odysseus.
Before the war, Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, had promised his daughter Helen to Menelaus of Sparta in exchange for a promise of military assistance. But when Agamemnon returned home after taking the city of Troy, he was killed by his wife Clytemnestra and their son Orestes. The Greek army then fled back to Greece after they saw that their king was dead. At the end of the war, Troy was sacked and destroyed by fire.
Conclusion
Iphigenia (1977) is a melodramatic film based on the Greek myth of the daughter of Agamemnon who challenges her father to sacrifice her to the Gods in order to appease them for his Greek allies. The movie was directed by Donald Cammell, written by Alan Smithee, and stars Vanessa Redgrave in the title role. 2017 has been the year of remakes, and Iphigenia is one of the many ones to remake the Greek legend and call it out in Hollywood.
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