Young Aphrodites (1963)

200 BC. During a merciless drought, the brute nature of man and the delicate essence of woman become inextricably intertwined, as the omnipotence of the carnal instinct demands the total surrender of the flesh.

Director:

Nikos Koundouros

Writers:

Longus (play), Kostas Sfikas

Stars:

Eleni Prokopiou, Takis Emmanuel, Kleopatra Rota

8 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Eleni Prokopiou	...	Arta
Takis Emmanuel	...	Tsakalos
Kleopatra Rota	...	Chloe
Vangelis Ioannidis	...	Skymnos
Zannino	...	Molossos (as Giannis Zannino)
Anestis Vlahos	...	Erster Hirte
Kostas Papakonstantinou	...	Lykas
Vasilis Kailas	...	(as Vasilakis Kailas)
Stathis Giallelis

Storyline

Parallel stories of Eros set in 200 B.C. Nomadic shepherds, plagued by drought, happen on a fishing encampment with plentiful fresh water. The local men are away but will return when it rains; the shepherds stay to refresh their flock until the rain comes. A shepherd lad and a local girl, both on the verge of puberty, start a mating dance. Also, one of the shepherds approaches a beautiful local woman, inviting her to sleep with him. How will she respond? She's married, her husband at sea for the week. Is love forever or temporary? A subtext dramatizes the capture of fish, birds, foxes, and other animals: their fates seem arbitrary.

---

Plot Keywords:

shepherd | based on play | young love | coming of age | tragic ending | 

---

Taglines:

Too Beautiful to Censor

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

In English, the Greek word "skymnos" means "cub".

---

Quotes

Skymnos: When a man wants a woman, he lights a fire.

---

Connections

Version of Daphnis and Chloe (1931)

User Reviews

strangely affecting, both exotic and familiar, in my top 10

I wail and gnash teeth in worry that my two VHS copies of this outstanding film will further degrade before the Lords of Film Preservation and Distribution pull this one from the oh so undeserved bin of neglect. Yes, another coming of age story. Yes, another love triangle. And yes, another oh so splendid example of what film can do! Lucent imagery, commanding black and white, classic movement, a story both exotic, ancient, and utterly timeless - integrally conveyed by images, images, images! A film to make you wish to be on some isolated Greek island, sitting mesmerized by the profound sea, and pondering the endless repetition of man's desire. Or rather, grateful to live in an age of film. A prayer to Mercury to speed this wonderful film to Criterion!

Details

Country:

Greece

Language:

Greek

Release Date:

December 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

Young Aphrodites

Filming Locations:

Rhodes, Greece

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anzervos, Minos Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1