...Or, Two Rights Make A Wrong. Over the years I've seen many versions of Antigone, both films and TV and even read two translations of the timeless tale by Sophocles but I was mainly interested in seeing this one as I've never heard it spoken in Greek before. Can't understand a word; whether it makes it more authentic or not is debatable - and after digesting all the concepts in the play whether you need another idea to debate is also debatable – but it certainly adds another dimension.
Strong minded woman Antigone wants to bury her brother Polyneices returned from exile who kills but is killed in battle by her other brother Eteocles who is feted as Thebes' saviour and given a hero's burial. Wilful King Creon decrees death to anyone honourably burying the traitor Polyneices bringing calamity and endless moral dilemmas for all concerned. Antigone is excellently played by Irene Papas, fresh from The Guns of Navarone the year before. This is Sophocles whizzed through in eighty minutes, concentrating on this wilfulness, pride and refusal to listen either to their gods, counsel or commonsense. It's been a salutary lesson for all people but especially despots and politicians of all eras; some wilfully blind leaders lead nations to war and destruction with their gods on their side and in the aftermath justify themselves even if it means black must be white
and vv too of course. The ever modern tragedies are that the despots and politicians never heed the lessons in here though and indeed that ordinary people still desire shepherds to lead them. Without going into any of the moral and ethical points raised (plenty mentioned in other comments here) as a film it's a reasonable effort and well acted and engrossing enough although I'd always imagined Thebes to be a little grander somehow. If you're still unsure: memorable, lots to chew over but absolutely no laughs.
