PHAEDRA was a hit in Europe but failed to make much of a dent in the US. Was it due to Dassin being blacklisted in the 50s? Probably not, as he had a hit with NEVER ON SUNDAY only a few years previous. Was it due to the star Melina Mercouri's appearance not being appealing to US audiences? Not likely, as she was also the star of NEVER ON SUNDAY (1960), for which Mercouri won best actress award in Cannes and was nominated for the Academy Awards . In fact, DP Jacques Natteau did his best to make Mercouri appear especially appealing despite her unconventional looks and character's madness and rage. Thoughts on the panning of the film include that the subject matter was not of much interest to US film goers. An updated version of the Greek tragedy Hippolytus, set primarily in Greece, with small portions in London and Paris, the story concerns the families of wealthy shipping tycoons, subject matter to which even Dassin reportedly could not relate, although he did assist with the screenplay and may have even toned it down from the original idea. A well known scandalous affair between opera diva Maria Callas and Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis might have given the US public enough reason at the time to avoid the film. Additionally, the film is long, the version screened today lasting almost two hours, although shorter versions have been available. Movie goers might have chosen to see MUSIC MAN or GYPSY instead, or found LAWRENCE OF ARABIA more of a foreign tale worth spending the afternoon seeing.
The film itself looks and sounds wonderful. In glorious black and white, DP Natteau captures the glaring sun on the rocks, cloudy skies, choppy seas and whitewashed buildings of Greece in high contrast. Indoor shots are at times noir like, with deep shadows appropriate to the scenes of tormented machinations. One love scene in particular is quite sensual and tantalizing in its non explicit nature, with blurry close up shots of faces and skin and hands grasping each other countered with a fireplace blazing in the background and rainstorm pelting the window. Set design is believable and detailed, from the family compound in Greece to the fitting rooms at Dior in Paris, and there is a touch of neo-realism with scenes of ship building and Greek village life. Costuming ensures that Mercouri always looks stunning and stands out in the frame, notably when she pushes her way through a group of figures in all black while wearing a bright white toga-like dress. The score, by composer Mikis Theodorakis, complements the action, triumphant at times and melancholy at others. Competent editing keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace.
Besides the glimpses into life in a small impoverished Greek seaside village overtaken by ruthless shipping moguls, we also get the chance to peek into the luxurious life of the rich, not portrayed with much sympathy. In the beginning of the film, we see a ship being christened, all night party following. Below, apparently not invited to the fest, a group of black clad wives of crew members observe with thinly disguised contempt. "They are powerful. They speak many languages, and they celebrate with fire in the sky," one says as they watch the elaborate fireworks display. As this is an adaptation of a classic tragedy, we know all, rich and poor, will suffer by the end of the film, explosions in the sky foreshadowing the drama and destruction to come.
The film is well acted, with hysteria only in appropriate places, following the story line. Husky-voiced Mercouri performs a believable seductress and madwoman, against giddy young Anthony Perkins who is as comfortable in his happy go lucky scenes as his anguished ones. Olympia Papadouka delivers perhaps the most understated great performance as personal assistant to Mercouri's character, a seer and reluctant accomplice in the tragedy. Although this film does not reach the heights of BRUTE FORCE, NAKED CITY or THIEVES' HIGHWAY, there are enough interesting elements as a whole to include it on the cinephile's Dassin to see list.
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