Oedipus Rex

Overview

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…

Stream

Criterion Channel

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Top cast

Franco Citti

Oedipus

Silvana Mangano

Jocasta, Queen of Thebes (and unnamed Italian young mother)

Alida Valli

Merope, Queen of Corinth

Carmelo Bene

Creon

Julian Beck

Tiresias

Luciano Bartoli

Laius, King of Thebes (and unnamed Italian young father)

Francesco Leonetti

Servo di Laio

No photo

Ahmed Belhachmi

Polybus, King of Corinth

Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia

Sacerdote

No photo

Giandomenico Davoli

Pastore di Polibo

Ninetto Davoli

Angelo

Laura Betti

Jocasta's Maid (uncredited)