Oedipus Rex

Pasolini reimagines Sophocles' tragedy as a stark, ritualized fable set against a timeless landscape. An infant is abandoned in hardship and is saved by fortune, then raised far from his true lineage by rulers who feed his ambition. As he grows, a cryptic oracle hints at a future that binds him to forces beyond his control. He pursues a path that promises power and belonging, while the truth of his origins remains concealed. The narrative folds memory, myth, and ceremony into a slowly unspooling meditation on fate and identity, inviting us to consider how a single prophecy can steer a life toward catastrophe without revealing every detail of what lies ahead. This retelling trades naturalistic dialogue for a ceremonial cadence.

Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, this 1967 adaptation of Sophocles' tragedy uses stark visuals and a ritual pace to reframe the myth. Franco Citti plays Oedipus opposite Silvana Mangano as Jocasta, with Alida Valli and Carmelo Bene in supporting roles, and the dialogue favors ritual cadence.

Box office: Box office data for this art film isn't widely reported; it had a limited release and is best known for its austere visuals rather than commercial success. It remains a notable entry in Pasolini's body of work.

Many critics regard this film as a landmark in art cinema, celebrated for its austere black and white imagery, ritual pacing, and stark, desertic locations. Pasolini’s approach influenced later adaptations of classical material by pairing myth with a modern, uncompromising visual grammar that still resonates today.

Critics have praised its formal daring while some find it opaque. The film foregrounds fate and identity, examining how prophecy, memory, and power shape a man who tries to escape his origins. It reframes a familiar tragedy as a meditation on responsibility and consequence, inviting repeated viewings for deeper insight.