Antigone (Broadway Theatre Archive)
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List Price: $24.99
Our Price: $15.98
Your Save: $ 9.01 ( 36% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
Starring: Geneviève Bujold, Peter Brandon, Leah Chandler, Frederick Coffin, Stacy Keach
Directed By: Gerald Freedman
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0014381087222
Format: Color
Label: Image Entertainment
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Image Entertainment
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2001-11-20
Running Time: 89
Studio: Image Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: 1974-02-13
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great drama, superb performances
Comment: There are times when people disagree with you on a play, movie or book, but you can understand why they feel differently. Reading some of the negative reviews for this DVD, I have to say I'm a little mystified.
One reviewer complains that this is not the Sophocles play "Antigone." Yes, it's not; it's Jean Anouilh's very free adaptation of it, further adapted into English by Lewis Galantiere. It seems a little silly to attack this for not being Sophocles when the cover says "Jean Anouilh's Antigone." In addition, the amazon editorial review makes it clear that this is Anouillh's play, and the "Product Description" (taken from the back cover of the DVD box) also makes it clear. So it's not as if this DVD is masquerading as the Sophocles play or that amazon is misleading people.
Sophocles wrote a great play but so did Anouilh. Written and first produced during the Nazi occupation of France, it clearly was intended as a protest against the Nazis and even more against the French collaborators, with Creon representing the collaborators and Antigone representing the resistance. This is so obvious that it's a little surprising that the Nazis allowed the play to be performed, even in a censored version.
As one reviewer notes, the technical aspects of the presentation are imperfect. This PBS production dates from 1974 and it was obviously done on a low budget. But I found the sound to be fine except for some very brief moments here and there. Sometimes the picture is a little blurry, but rarely enough to be more than a passing and minor annoyance. (Those who are bothered by the sound here would surely have a more difficult time watching some of the boxed sets of BBC productions of classic plays. Some of those have really problematic sound, much worse than this.)
The production was filmed inside and outside the Juilliard School in Manhattan (which had been recently built). The cool architecture, modern yet somewhat classical, provides perfect settings for this modern adaptation of a classic play.
Trying to figure out why some of the reviewers are so negative, I suppose I can see that the first 40 minutes or so may require a little patience (though I would hardly call it boring). But once you hit the big confrontation between Antigone and Creon, it's riveting, or at least it is for me, straight through to the devastating ending.
That confrontation is where the play is really brilliantly written. Creon is given such eloquent, even moving arguments, in some ways more effective than Antigone's, even though we're clearly supposed to side with Antigone. This adds to the complexity and interest of the scene. That this scene is so riveting is thanks not only to Anouilh's writing but also to the superb performances of Genevieve Bujold and Fritz Weaver, both ideally cast. Both know when to keep it relatively quiet and when to let loose. It's exciting to watch these two first-rate actors go at it, rising to the challenge of their great roles.
One stylized touch is Weaver's hair, clearly artificially gray, long and slightly disheveled, making him look like a sad, melancholy figure. I like this though I can see why another reviewer doesn't.
While the production is dominated by Bujold and Weaver, under Gerald Freedman's direction every member of the cast is excellent, with the great veteran actress Aline MacMahon perhaps the standout as the Nurse.
One of the negative reviewers writes that his class of 10th graders was bored with it, even though they'd been studying the play. I was in 10th grade when I first saw this when it was originally shown in 1974. I'd never read the play but I loved this production and watched it again and again (as PBS used to repeat things frequently back then). So I'd say that if you're an adult (or even a teenager) who loves classic drama, this is a DVD you may well find fascinating and very powerful.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Well-acted performance of Anouilh's play
Comment: The debate between Creon and Antigone is intense and makes up for the poor video quality. Note to teachers, this is worth showing to classes who are reading the Sophocles play, though the differences are more useful than the similarities--especially the role of the chorus.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Watch the real "Antigoni" (1961) Irene Papas
Comment: As with many experiments in extracting classics and trying to adapt them to modern day you lose everything but the words and in this case those also. This was a horrible attempt to portray the story that has no relevance in the context of modern architecture and tuxedo. There is a lot more Jean Anouilh and very little Sophocles.
If I did not know better I would say this is a project for out of work actors. I did notice that Geneviève Bujold would probably make a good Ophélie in a classic Hamlet. Not much good could be said from the half hearted narration it just goes down hill.
It takes a while to get the bad taste out of your mouth. Clear your pallet with the Greek version that is much better portrayed by Irene Papas. Irene also did a superb port rail of "Elektra" (1961).
Antigone
Customer Rating:
Summary: No good for tenth grade class
Comment: While this may be an artistic triumph for the actors, it is worthless as a teaching tool. My tenth graders were bored and didn't understand much of what was going on even though we had read and discussed the play in class. Most of them went to sleep, that is the ones who were not talking and ignoring the video. This purchase was money wasted by me.
Customer Rating:
Summary: ACHH artsy garbage
Comment: Here's the scoop from a non-artsy fartsy teacher looking for a well-acted play faithful to the original: this is utter garbage.
Poor audio, ridiculous acting, sets are sparse, obviously they are doing an interpretation, but it still falls flat.
Example: important to the play is the idea Creon is guilty of hubris and this is no more obviousa than in the scene at the start with the guard. In this play Creon doesn;t hthreaten him, merely wanrs him he has not done his duty and schemes with him to cover it up.
More like performance art, and bad art at that.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great drama, superb performances
Comment: There are times when people disagree with you on a play, movie or book, but you can understand why they feel differently. Reading some of the negative reviews for this DVD, I have to say I'm a little mystified.
One reviewer complains that this is not the Sophocles play "Antigone." Yes, it's not; it's Jean Anouilh's very free adaptation of it, further adapted into English by Lewis Galantiere. It seems a little silly to attack this for not being Sophocles when the cover says "Jean Anouilh's Antigone." In addition, the amazon editorial review makes it clear that this is Anouillh's play, and the "Product Description" (taken from the back cover of the DVD box) also makes it clear. So it's not as if this DVD is masquerading as the Sophocles play or that amazon is misleading people.
Sophocles wrote a great play but so did Anouilh. Written and first produced during the Nazi occupation of France, it clearly was intended as a protest against the Nazis and even more against the French collaborators, with Creon representing the collaborators and Antigone representing the resistance. This is so obvious that it's a little surprising that the Nazis allowed the play to be performed, even in a censored version.
As one reviewer notes, the technical aspects of the presentation are imperfect. This PBS production dates from 1974 and it was obviously done on a low budget. But I found the sound to be fine except for some very brief moments here and there. Sometimes the picture is a little blurry, but rarely enough to be more than a passing and minor annoyance. (Those who are bothered by the sound here would surely have a more difficult time watching some of the boxed sets of BBC productions of classic plays. Some of those have really problematic sound, much worse than this.)
The production was filmed inside and outside the Juilliard School in Manhattan (which had been recently built). The cool architecture, modern yet somewhat classical, provides perfect settings for this modern adaptation of a classic play.
Trying to figure out why some of the reviewers are so negative, I suppose I can see that the first 40 minutes or so may require a little patience (though I would hardly call it boring). But once you hit the big confrontation between Antigone and Creon, it's riveting, or at least it is for me, straight through to the devastating ending.
That confrontation is where the play is really brilliantly written. Creon is given such eloquent, even moving arguments, in some ways more effective than Antigone's, even though we're clearly supposed to side with Antigone. This adds to the complexity and interest of the scene. That this scene is so riveting is thanks not only to Anouilh's writing but also to the superb performances of Genevieve Bujold and Fritz Weaver, both ideally cast. Both know when to keep it relatively quiet and when to let loose. It's exciting to watch these two first-rate actors go at it, rising to the challenge of their great roles.
One stylized touch is Weaver's hair, clearly artificially gray, long and slightly disheveled, making him look like a sad, melancholy figure. I like this though I can see why another reviewer doesn't.
While the production is dominated by Bujold and Weaver, under Gerald Freedman's direction every member of the cast is excellent, with the great veteran actress Aline MacMahon perhaps the standout as the Nurse.
One of the negative reviewers writes that his class of 10th graders was bored with it, even though they'd been studying the play. I was in 10th grade when I first saw this when it was originally shown in 1974. I'd never read the play but I loved this production and watched it again and again (as PBS used to repeat things frequently back then). So I'd say that if you're an adult (or even a teenager) who loves classic drama, this is a DVD you may well find fascinating and very powerful.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Well-acted performance of Anouilh's play
Comment: The debate between Creon and Antigone is intense and makes up for the poor video quality. Note to teachers, this is worth showing to classes who are reading the Sophocles play, though the differences are more useful than the similarities--especially the role of the chorus.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Watch the real "Antigoni" (1961) Irene Papas
Comment: As with many experiments in extracting classics and trying to adapt them to modern day you lose everything but the words and in this case those also. This was a horrible attempt to portray the story that has no relevance in the context of modern architecture and tuxedo. There is a lot more Jean Anouilh and very little Sophocles.
If I did not know better I would say this is a project for out of work actors. I did notice that Geneviève Bujold would probably make a good Ophélie in a classic Hamlet. Not much good could be said from the half hearted narration it just goes down hill.
It takes a while to get the bad taste out of your mouth. Clear your pallet with the Greek version that is much better portrayed by Irene Papas. Irene also did a superb port rail of "Elektra" (1961).
Antigone
Customer Rating:
Summary: No good for tenth grade class
Comment: While this may be an artistic triumph for the actors, it is worthless as a teaching tool. My tenth graders were bored and didn't understand much of what was going on even though we had read and discussed the play in class. Most of them went to sleep, that is the ones who were not talking and ignoring the video. This purchase was money wasted by me.
Customer Rating:
Summary: ACHH artsy garbage
Comment: Here's the scoop from a non-artsy fartsy teacher looking for a well-acted play faithful to the original: this is utter garbage.
Poor audio, ridiculous acting, sets are sparse, obviously they are doing an interpretation, but it still falls flat.
Example: important to the play is the idea Creon is guilty of hubris and this is no more obviousa than in the scene at the start with the guard. In this play Creon doesn;t hthreaten him, merely wanrs him he has not done his duty and schemes with him to cover it up.
More like performance art, and bad art at that.
With fierce originality, this powerful adaptation of the Sophocles tragedy presents a world of honor, treachery and fateful consequences. Acclaimed actress Genevieve Bujold skillfully combines elements of zealotry and idealism in her affecting portrait of Antigone. Jean Anouilh's retelling of "Antigone" stages the inescapably wrenching central confrontation between Antigone and Creon by presenting Bujold and Fritz Weaver seated at a long, executive-suite table--a hallmark of Anouilh's play. The New York Times critic, John J. O'Connor, lauded this "Antigone" as "well acted, well directed and beautifully staged."
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