Jason returns to Greece with the formidable sorceress Medea after his journey to obtain the mythical Golden Fleece.
However, when the king exiles her, it is only human that Medea plans her vengeance. Can they avoid her wrath? Medea is a 1969 Italian film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini that is based on the ancient Medea tale. It was shot at the early Christian churches of Göreme Open Air Museum, Pisa, and the Citadel of Aleppo, and it starred opera soprano Maria Callas in her lone film appearance. In the film, she does not sing.
The film is mainly accurate to the tale of Jason and the Argonauts as well as the events of Euripides’ play The Medea describing Jason’s betrayal of Medea and his subsequent death at her hands.
The film was well praised by critics but failed to find financial success. According to film critic Tony Rayns, the picture is a committedly hostile work of art from a director who enjoyed challenging society. Rayns characterizes the film’s climax as “backing him (Pasolini) into a cul-de-sac” for the film’s grim finish, which nearly appears to be a withdrawal from cultural production. Pasolini’s dramatic and antagonistic nature shines through in this film, which recounts Medea’s murder of her husband, children, and husband’s lover.