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Antigone (Broadway Theatre Archive) | 
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Director: Gerald Freedman
Actors: Genevieve Bujold, James Naughton, Shawn Mcgill, Frederick Coffin, Edwin Owens
Studio: Image Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $15.98
You Save: $9.01 (36%)
New (21) Used (3) Collectible (1) from $15.26
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 14140
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 91
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 0872BD
UPC: 014381087222
EAN: 0014381087222
ASIN: B00005QBZ5
Theatrical Release Date: February 13, 1974
Release Date: November 20, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
French playwright Jean Anouilh's modernized version of the classic Greek tragedy Antigone sets the story in the sleek palace of a fascist state ruled by Creon (veteran stage actor Fritz Weaver). His niece Antigone (Genevieve Bujold, Dead Ringers) is horrified by Creon's order that the body of her brother--who led a rebellion against the state--be left on the battlefield to rot. When she violates the edict, guards haul her before Creon, who struggles to convince her that his reasons are honorable, despite the ugly consequences, but Antigone remains steadfast, even though her death will result. The great strength of Antigone is that there is no easy solution to the conflict, which leads to disaster for everyone involved. Bujold glows as the obsessed, martyrlike Antigone; Weaver brings passion to Creon's mixture of reason and tyranny; and Stacy Keach (Fat City) plays the narrating Chorus with a weary, ironic detachment. --Bret Fetzer
Description
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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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Great drama, superb performances July 17, 2008
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 very 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 to me that it's 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 very 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 dramas. 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 and 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 pretty 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 Weaver and Bujold 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 guess I can see why another reviewer doesn't.
While the production is obviously 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. It's funny but I think 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.
 Well-acted performance of Anouilh's play December 30, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
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.
 Watch the real "Antigoni" (1961) Irene Papas August 8, 2006
8 out of 17 found this review helpful
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 Genevieve Bujold would probably make a good Ophelie 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
No good for tenth grade class June 30, 2006
7 out of 17 found this review helpful
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.
ACHH artsy garbage April 6, 2006
4 out of 20 found this review helpful
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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