Pasolini’s Terrifying… Compassionate… Magnificent…
Oedipus Rex
In pre-war Italy, a young couple have a baby boy. The father, however, is jealous of his son - and the scene moves to antiquity, where the baby is taken into the desert to be killed. He is rescued, given the name Oedipus, and brought up by the King and Queen of Corinth as their son. One day an oracle informs Oedipus that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Horrified, he flees Corinth and his supposed parents - only to get into a fight and kill an older man on the road…
Cast
Franco Citti
Oedipus
Silvana Mangano
Jocasta, Queen of Thebes (and unnamed Italian young mother)
Alida Valli
Merope, Queen of Corinth
Carmelo Bene
Creon
Julian Beck
Tiresias
Luciano Bartoli
Laius, King of Thebes (and unnamed Italian young father)
Francesco Leonetti
Servo di Laio
Ahmed Belhachmi
Polybus, King of Corinth
Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia
Sacerdote
Giandomenico Davoli
Pastore di Polibo
Ninetto Davoli
Angelo
Laura Betti
Jocasta's Maid (uncredited)
