Electra, My Love

A parable for the idea that revolutionaries must continually renew themselves Miklós JancsóRevolutionary in form as well as content, Electra, My Love is one of the great Miklós Jancsó's finest works. Set amidst the open plains and grasslands of Hungary, and shot in twelve long, beautiful, intricately choreographed takes by cinematographer János Kende, it is a provocative call to arms against any system that rules without justice.An expert in the symbolic expression of forbidden political ideas, Jancsó here radically reworks the ancient Greek myth as a philosophical reflection on the dialectics of power and oppression. Electra (seeking revenge for the murder of her father, the former king) attempts to rouse a cowardly and apathetic population against the rule of usurper tyrant Aegisthus. Jancsó's film examines issues of law, justice and power; the deliberate distortion of myth and reality reflecting the real horrors that Hungary had endured – and was at that time still enduring. It's relevance for contemporary society is still potent and clear today.