Fedras de celuloide

Abstract

This essay discusses a series of films that develop the myth of Phaedra, examining the variations of style and plot over the course of successive dramatizations of the myth. The article underscores the films’ tendency to use a series of elements from nature and other motifs traditionally associated with the myth’s characters. It also analyzes the transformation that the protagonists undergo, namely their decline from heroic figures to ordinary individuals. Finally, the essay includes reflections on the various interpretations of tragedy appearing in the different versions of the myth: preservation of the Greek vision of destiny, an emphasis on social determinism, a reduction to melodrama, or assimilation to the Spanish honor play.