Impressive work that updates the classical tragedy by transferring it to a modern-day Greece of celebrities and tycoons. (Onassis family, anyone ?) The transposition is intelligent and works very well. Melina Mercouri as Phaedra - beautiful, enigmatic, capricious, doomed - is the undisputed star of the movie, which is as it should be. Her death, near the end of the movie, is a potent and memorable scene. I was less impressed by the performance given by Anthony Perkins, although I need to add that I may be prejudiced : I do not like to watch him act, for reasons that may be irrational. Strongly recommended to lovers of all things Greek and/or classical.

I just watched Phaedra for the first time this week. Lots of interesting comments by the other posters, so I won't repeat what everyone else has already said.I was curious about one thing, though. Did anyone else pick up on the vibe sent out by Phaedra's maid Anna? From the way she stares off into space blankly whenever Phaedra is getting attention from other people, coupled with the few times that she is comforting Phaedra with hugs or back rubs, it seems like Anna has a thing for Phaedra. Does anyone else think the two of them had a lesbian relationship? Phaedra seemed to be able to get anything/anyone she wanted.

Tony Perkins has that young look that made him seem unfit for some more mature roles or those that sought to portray him as an icon of virility. In "Phaedra", that youthful look--and the chiseled perfection of a Greek sculpture--makes him rather suitable for this role as the innocent lover of his father's second wife, played by Melina Mercouri.The story is played with a necessary fatalism, full of dramatic pauses and unavoidable attraction. There is no free will here, as the characters are compelled to play their parts in this tragedy, condemned to suffer the consequences ascribed by the gods and the rules of men.As such, this film may be seen to present the two primary characters as little more than puppets, walking the path that destiny requires. Or was there a moment, however brief, when they embraced their destinies with open arms, knowledgeable of the consequences? Did they really have a choice, given their basic natures? This classic story asks these questions and, in this, the film is true. The photographic style, including the editing, makes the two feel like chess pieces occupying space, being moved by an unseen hand or some force of magnetism, drawn together inescapably. In the end, Phaedra accepts the will of the "gods", while Perkins' Alexis--like Dionysus or Icarus--struggles till the end, proclaiming his illusory freedom from the Fates.

I saw this bit of superheated Grand Guignol back in 1963.The good burghers of East Ham clearly not finding warmed over Greek Mythology to their taste the only other occupant of the cinema was a myopic usherette using her torch to read her "Picturegoer". Mr Raf Vallone and Miss Melina Mercouri are scenery chewers par excellence. Mr Tony Perkins can certainly hold his own.The result is a magnificent festival of overacting directed at full tilt by Miss Mercouri's hubby who,as is only reasonable,gives her plenty of Big Close Ups. In turn she looks monolithic,demented and then monolithic again. I don't know what she did to Mr Perkins but she certainly terrified me.Well,actually I do know what she did to Mr Perkins,the movie makes it only too clear.Probably grounds for divorce - even in Ancient Greece.Even the formidable M.Dassin is unable to perform his alchemy on this particular Sow's Ear.However diaphanous Miss Mercouri's gowns,how winsome Mr Perkins' facial expressions ,you can't escape from the fact that he is about to have sex with his stepmum.It certainly didn't go down well in East Ham I can tell you.