Mourning Becomes Electra (1978– ) User Reviews

Searing American version of Greek tragedy by Eugene O'Neill

[merkorn-2 · 9/10 · 1 June 2009]

Like several of the other writers, I saw this on PBS when it came out (I was in high school) and for several weeks excitedly looked forward to each installment. It has absolutely lived up to my memory with brilliant performances by Joan Hackett, Bruce Davison, and especially the eerie Roberta Maxwell, whose eyes glow with almost psychotic intensity.

The story is an American version of the Orestes myth transported to the Civil War South and is full of Oedipal longings and twisted familial relationships. The dialogue is poetic and the acting is wonderful. Highly recommended.

Interestingly enough, Katherine Hepburn wanted to make a film of this play with herself as Lavinia and Greta Garbo as Christine. That would have been wonderful casting!

Everything the Rosalind Russell movie wasn't

[jjnxn-1 · 9/10 · 15 May 2013]

The only way to present this O'Neill play is in this extended form to full comprehend the depths that he was trying to explore. The 1947 version was a worthy try although with miscast performers but you can't squeeze a five hour plus drama into half that time and expect it to succeed as that movie tried to do.

The men in the cast, Josef Sommer, Bruce Davison, Jeffrey DeMunn, Roberts Blossom all contribute fine work but this is structured and belongs to the two main females of the tale. Here is where this production excels, the great Joan Hackett is brilliant as the unfaithful mother Christine only outshone by Roberta Maxwell who is amazing as the deeply complex Lavinia, how this didn't launch her into a great starring career is a mystery. Perhaps she preferred the stage since her screen credits are not vast.

The story, which is often bleak, requires commitment but for those willing to invest the time it is a worthwhile journey.

BRILLIANT AND FORGOTTEN...

[lmnyc · 1 June 2002]

This PBS production is simply the best American TV adaptation of a play I've ever seen. I saw it in 1979 and have never forgotten it. The three leads are all so perfect together that I truly can't say who is better- Joan Hackett's dominating, seductive yet unreachable matriarch (in real life, the actress' tombstone reads simply 'Go Away', a perfect representation of her character in this film), stage actress Roberta Maxwell as the sad, combative daughter following in her emotional footsteps, or Bruce Davison's weak and frustrated son, yearning for love yet haunted by war. An incredible viewing experience I highly recommend

A Remarkable Achievement

[lavatch · 10/10 · 22 April 2012]

Eugene O'Neill was a playwright who was always ahead of his time. His daring, innovative theatrical techniques are no more apparent than in his sprawling "Mourning Becomes Electra"--an ambitious attempt to recreate the only extant Greek trilogy, the "Oresteia" of Aeschylus.

Written long before the invention of television, O'Neill's play may be more effective on the small screen than in the confines of a large Broadway theatre. In the case of this ambitious 1978 television adaptation, the superb performances benefited from the close-ups and nuanced emotional details captured on camera.

The intensity and profound nature of this television adaptation are felt from start to finish, and there was a clear attempt to remain faithful to O'Neill's text and vision. With the play set in the years immediately following the Civil War, it is tempting to seek a broad interpretation of American culture and the American Dream. But "Mourning Becomes Electra" has a much greater relevance in the area of human psychology, especially family dysfunction. The history of the Mannon clan stands for all of our families, as the characters carry the pain of past generations.

The result of this relentless tragedy is a deeply personal experience for all viewers. The DVD version includes outstanding commentary from Erich Segal--the screenwriter of "Love Story" and a fine literary historian. Segal's perceptive comments and background help to make this production of "Mourning Becomes Electra" in this DVD version an absolutely unforgettable experience.

Mourning Becomes Electra Stays In My Mind.

[donnjames5050 · 10/10 · 24 June 2007]

I first saw this film when it was released. It has stuck in my mind all of these years. I have been searching for it ever since. Joan Hackett stayed in my mind because of this film and I followed her career from that moment. I have enjoyed other films with the same story line, but for some reason this one sticks in my mind. I am hoping to find it on DVD or even VHS. Having seen it just that one time it obviously made a lasting impression. Not many of my friends have heard of the movie, I have raved about it so long many are quite anxious for me to find it. Hopefully someday I will stumble across it and enjoy Joan Hackett in this great film once more. Maybe I've missed it being replayed on television, but my search will continue. Thank you for having the information about this great film.

worth the time invested

[dreed444 · 9 August 2003]

I agree with the above comment completely. O'Neill is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you ARE interested in some of the greatest American dramas ever penned, then O'Neill is for you. Yes, his plays are long and arduous but they reveal so much about the human condition, not to mention the writers', that it is worth the time it takes to read them or, as in this case, watch them. 'Mourning' may not be the best to cut your teeth on, so I might recommend "Long Day's Journey Into Night", "Moon for the Misbegotten" or "The Iceman Cometh" -- but no matter which you choose you are in for a wonderful theatrical and personal experience. This DVD was also enhanced by afterwords by Dr. Erich Segal and I appreciated his insights greatly. Highly recommended.

Could there be any more hatred in a family?

[alicecbr · 16 September 2004]

The long night turning into day happened in THIS play, as we watch the revulsion Christine feels for the advances of her newly returned Civil War general, paralleled by the stalking and pacing of the jealous daughter, Lavinia (Vinny) downstairs. The incest overtones are obvious, but always sublimated by at least the father, who rejects his daughter's continual advances.

The death scene is well done, and even though the histrionics of Christine, fainting but yet keeping tightly clutched in her hand the box of poison, were hard to believe...they did add to the drama.

Knowing O'Neill's family history, one wonders how much of him is in Oren/Orestes? As all parents do, we make mistakes......none so horrendous as those these parents seem to have made. And yet, on the exterior, the Mannions are the bedrock of the town, just so proper.

O'Neill uses the family retainer as the Greek chorus, always lurking around and making his comments to give the viewer context. Beautifully photographed movied. The lines were superior:" I have killed other men, they all look like Father dead, and then their faces turn to my own. " At a time like this, when so many of our children are dying for oil in a foreign country that we have immorally invaded, we need to remember how ugly death is "Bodies sewn all over the hillside" in the Civil War as also in Iraq today. The look of surprise 'as though he had stepped on a tack' of the Reb who dies from Oren's sword under his ear brings the face of death to us, without the physical appearance. In fact, Oren's haunted tale of the murders he has committed in war (so truthfully stated, because our children are MURDERING others today 'legally' but immorally) disturb the viewer much more than the actual murder. Why?

Add this one to your library. And yes, you can call it an anti-war film, as well as a tale told to parents about the importance of showing love to your children when they're young. Reaping those bitter oats, as what the elder Mannions sewed, most assuredly they did also reap, is what this movie is all about.