I am not at all well versed in Greek history or its mythology. I know the basics. I read The Odyssey and The Iliad in high school and Medea in college. I know about Oedipus Rex and his weird kinks, but that’s about it. And all of that was read so long ago that they sort of blend into vague reminiscences.
Buy Iphigenia Blu-raySo when Iphigenia showed up in my mailbox, I gotta say I wasn’t all that excited about it. Watching a movie about Agamemnon and his kids just before the Trojan War felt more like homework than a good night at the movies. If I’m being honest, I put off watching it for a couple of days, dreading the experience.
When I finally put it in, those fears were not allayed quickly. For the first 10-15 minutes, I wasn’t sure what was going on, and I was none too excited to find out. I sighed and settled in for a long ride. But then something happened. A few minutes later, I realized I was getting into the story. Things started to click, and by the end, I was completely enthralled.
To catch you up on a little history/myth, Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta, runs away with Paris to Troy. Agamemnon, Menelaus’ brother and King of Argos, gathers an army and prepares to sail to Troy and bring back Helen.
Our film begins here. The soldiers are ready for war, but the wind has died. Without it, their ships cannot sail to Troy. Director Michael Cacoyannis shoots the scene with his camera pulled back into a wide shot. It pans across the beach with thousands of bodies – barely clothed and often naked men lying aimlessly on the beach, stretched out in the hot sun. They are listless and bored. Time stretches endlessly on. The men grow anxious and hungry.
Agamemnon (Costa Kazakos) allows them to take sheep from a nearby temple dedicated to the god Artemis. One of the men accidentally kills a sacred deer from the temple (and yes, this myth is where the Yorgos Lanthimos film comes from). Artemis is angered by this. He sends an Oracle who pronounces that no wind will blow until Agamemnon offers up the proper sacrifice – his oldest daughter, Iphigenia (Tatiana Papamoschou).
Agamemnon despairs. He loves Iphigenia. But Menelaus (Costas Carras) argues with him. A king cannot put his personal feelings over the needs of his country. Agamemnon reluctantly agrees but realizes there is no way he’ll ever convince his wife, Clytemnestra (Irene Papas), to let this happen. Instead, he tricks her. He sends word that he has agreed to let Achilles (Panos Mihalopoulos), one of his greatest warriors, marry Iphigenia.
Clytemnestra is excited about this news, and despite Agamemnon asking her to send Iphigenia alone, she brings an entire wedding party. There is an utterly heartbreaking scene when Iphigenia excitedly runs to her father, and he can hardly look at her, knowing how he has doomed her fate. Clytemnestra will learn of his trickery, and they will have some heated words.
Agamemnon almost changes his mind, but his people have learned of the deal. They find it pleasing. They figure since they are putting their lives on the line for the glory of Greece, then it is only fair that their king offer his own sacrifice. If Agamemnon pulls out now, the armies will rise up, killing him and his entire family.
Both Irene Papas and Kostas Kazakos make you feel the absolute horror of this decision. Papas is filled with anger and despair, while Kazakos is pulled between his love of his daughter and his country. Tatiana Papamoschou gives Iphigenia the full range of emotions. When she thinks she’s going to get married, she is both scared and intrigued. When she overhears her mother’s cries over the truth, she runs away. She’s confused and terrified. Why would her father let this happen? But then there is acceptance and understanding and…well, I won’t spoil everything for you, but let’s just say the acting across the board is phenomenal.
The film is shot in a naturalist style almost entirely in the Greek countryside. Some of it was filmed in the real ruins of Mycenae. This gives it a realistic feeling. Unlike so many adaptations of Greek myths or all of those sword-and-sandal pictures that were popular a few years before, Iphigenia feels real.
It does take its time to build up to things. It immediately feels like an important film. Because of its subject, that does make it feel a little like homework. It takes a little patience, but if you give it room to breathe, you’ll discover its beauty. The core of the story is so heartbreaking, and the filmmaking so breathtaking, that I’m ready to call it a masterpiece.
Radiance Films presents Iphigenia with a high-definition transfer with uncompressed mono PCM audio.
Extras include:
- New interview with Greek film expert Dimitris Papanikolaou on Michael Cacoyannis (2025)
- Archival press conference interview with Michael Cacoyannis (1977)
- Archival interview with director Michael Cacoyannis and actress Irene Papas (1977)
- Newly improved English subtitle translation
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Vrasidas Karalis
