â 5.5/10
Movie ⢠1971
Othon
Synopsis
Straub-Huilletâs first color film, adapts a lesser-known Corneille tragedy from 1664, which in turn was based on an episode of imperial court intrigue chronicled in Tacitusâs Histories. The costuming is classical, and the toga-clad, nonprofessional cast performs the dramaâs original French text amid the ruins of Romeâs Palatine Hill while the noise of contemporary urban life hums in the background. Their lines are executed with a terrific flatness and frequently through heavy accents; the language in Othon becomes not merely an expression but a thing itself, an element whose plainness here alerts us to qualities of the work that might otherwise be subordinated.
Release date
1971-01-13
Original language
FR
Status
Released
Popularity
0
