Greek movies have always been so popular in the entertainment world. Here in this article, we have focused on some of the most ancient ones:
Helena (1924 movie)
Helena (1924), made by Manfred Noah, is the first mythological-length movie. The movie clocks in at 204 minutes. Were they able to bring back the capture of Helen and the fall of Troy? They have restored a film that was thought to be dead. A must-see from another time.
Orpheus (1950 movie)
Jean Cocteau made a French film called “Orphée,” which is based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and set in modern-day Paris. When Orpheus wants to save Eurydice from an unfair death in the Underworld, he only has to work with love. It’s based on one of the best love stories in history, set in Paris. One of the best movies ever made, for sure.
Hercules (1958 movie)
The Italians were mesmerized by movie images of supernatural entities, heroes, and Greek mythology. Steve Reeves played Hercules in the 1958 movie “Le fatiche di Ercole” (The Labors of Hercules), which Pietro Franziski directed. In the movie, he demolished temples and fell in love with Princess Iole, who was very beautiful. However, Hercules is a big part of the movie, focusing more on Jason and the Argonauts than Hercules’ epic journey. Legends about so many different people are out there. The more well-known a person is, the more popular this movie is. He would reprise his role as Hercules precisely one year after this movie. In 1959, he would do it again (the film’s original title was “Ercole e la Regina di Lidia”).
Antigone (1961 movie)
A fight for the throne of Seven-tailed Thebe, two sons of the late King Oedipus, killed both of them. That Antigone defies her king. She buries her brother in defiance of the new king named Creon. Sophocles’s tragic play, Antigone, was made into a movie by Irene Papas, who played perfectly and did a great job.
Electra (1962 movie)
Mycenae king Agamemnon killed his wife and lover, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. Her mother and her lover killed her father. Her father was killed. Electra is waiting for the right time to get back at her father. After meeting Oreste’s brother again, she can. They will do their evil plan together. Before Zorba became famous worldwide, Michael Cacoyannis made one of the best movie adaptations of a tragedy with “Electra” in 1967. It’s a beautiful black-and-white movie with music by Mikis Theodorakis and strong performances from the whole cast. Irene Papas plays Electra in the movie. When the finished movie was released, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1963. It also won Best Film at the Cannes Film Festival in 1962.
Oedipus Rex (1967 movie)
“Arsenic and Old Lace” is the name of a movie made by Pier Paolo Pasolini in Italy that is based on Sophocles’ Greek tragedy. There is a birth in the 1930s. Afterward, the baby’s father leaves him in the desert. A couple comes to the baby’s aid. Three fate sisters are making life’s thread as they say, “I have arrived.” Where did life start?
“Medea” (1969 movie)
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s new movie is a real treat. If you want to know about this well-known story about Jason and the Argonauts, you should read about Medea, the sorceress who helped him on his journey and was promised to him as his wife. Jason gives up Medea when he returns home as a hero and marries a princess from Corinth. When Medea is angry, she plans revenge on Jason and his new wife, with deadly consequences. He adapted Euripides’ famous Greek tragedy, and Maria Calls is the star. This is why the movie is a big hit.
Hercules (1995-1999)
In the late 1990s, a hugely popular TV show was based on the heroic demigod from Greek mythology. Actor Kevin Sorbo plays the role of Hercules in the movie. The story is about him and his sidekick Iolaus, who fight monsters and terrible warlords in ancient Greece while avoiding Hera’s wrath.