Oedipus Rex
“Pasolini’s Terrifying… Compassionate… Magnificent…”
In pre-war Italy, a young couple have a baby boy. The father, however, is jealous of his son - and the scene moves to antiquity, where the baby is taken into the desert to be killed. He is rescued, given the name Oedipus, and brought up by the King and Queen of Corinth as their son. One day an oracle informs Oedipus that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Horrified, he flees Corinth and his supposed parents - only to get into a fight and kill an older man on the road…
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Cast
14 people
Franco Citti
Oedipus
Known for
Accattone
The Decameron
Silvana Mangano
Jocasta, Queen of Thebes (and unnamed Italian young mother)
Known for
Theorem
Dune
Alida Valli
Merope, Queen of Corinth
Known for
The Third Man
Eyes Without a Face
Carmelo Bene
Creon
Also in
Our Lady of the Turks
Salomé
Julian Beck
Tiresias
Known for
Poltergeist II: The Other Side
Nine 1/2 Weeks
Luciano Bartoli
Laius, King of Thebes (and unnamed Italian young father)
Known for
The Professor
Torso
Francesco Leonetti
Servo di Laio
Also in
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
The Year of the Cannibals
Ahmed Belhachmi
Polybus, King of Corinth
No other roles listed
Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia
Sacerdote
Known for
Django
Theorem
Giandomenico Davoli
Pastore di Polibo
No other roles listed
Ninetto Davoli
Angelo
Known for
Arabian Nights
The Hawks and the Sparrows
Laura Betti
Jocasta's Maid (uncredited)
Known for
The Canterbury Tales
Theorem
Pier Paolo Pasolini Director · Sophocles Author Giuseppe Ruzzolini Cinematographer
United States release December 7, 1984 · Produced in Italy, Morocco · Production Arco Film
Production
Somafis
Production
Arco Film
Production
Italy · Morocco
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Edipo re
Original language
Italian
Spoken on screen
Italian
Release dates
Italy · September 3, 1967
Premiere · Venice Film Festival
Italy · September 7, 1967
Theatrical · Turin
United States · December 7, 1984
Theatrical
United States · March 14, 2003
Physical · DVD
United States
June 27, 2023 · Physical · Blu-ray
France
October 9, 1968 · Theatrical
Germany
June 13, 1969 · Theatrical
Italy
September 8, 1967 · Theatrical · Rome
September 16, 1967 · Theatrical · Milan
Netherlands
September 24, 2012 · Physical · DVD
Sweden
October 29, 1975 · Limited theatrical · Cinemateksvisning
United Kingdom
December 10, 1968 · Theatrical
September 26, 1990 · Physical · VHS
March 17, 1999 · Physical · DVD
September 24, 2012 · Physical · Blu-ray
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Some details come from TheTVDB.