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Oedipus in Kolonos
Jan. 11th, 2004 10:58 pm
Oedipus in Kolonos
Quite an interesting experience.
The first half hour was... mühsam, to say the least. Laboured and, like, on valium. There's no other expression to describe it. The constant urge to yell get on with it. A self-pitying, very annoying Oepidus, who it was impossible to feel sympathy for, mannered acting style, oh-so-artsy, pretty decorations, Handke's at least sometimes rather self-indulgent new translation... It picked up a little after a while, as the plot gathers momentum, so that at least you weren't bored into a coma any longer.
Then, during the intermission you got time to think about what you were actually seeing (as opposed to what you'd expected to see) and once you realised this and adjusted your perception accordingly, the second part made quite a lot of sense. This wasn't the conventional interpretation where you were supposed to feel pity for greatness brought down by cruel gods, an innocent man suffering, but bearing his fate with dignity; or at least that wasn't all there was to it.
This Oedipus was a very old man, bordering on senility; self-pitying and spiteful, someone utterly destroyed by what he had to endure. Suffering had twisted his soul, his personality, made him indifferent to anything beyond his personal needs. Almost sycophantic in his gratitude to those who help him, like Theseus, hard and unforgiving towards everyone who'd harmed him, even his own son. Self-centred and not only physically blind, unable to see beyond his own pain. Not a pleasant character by any means; but a touch of realism to classical tragedy.
And with that realisation the second part not only made sense, but was even quite compelling. When Oedipus cursed Polyneikes, totally dispassionate except for glimpses at deep running resentment, you saw a man who'd been so involved in his own suffering for so long that it's impossible for him to feel sympathy for anyone else or to even try and put himself in their position. Hatred for wrongs done to him so deeply ingrained that even the notion of forgiveness is strange and meaningless to him. He doesn't reject it - it never even occurs to him to consider it. A chilling moment, not in the least because in his desire for revenge on his son he's inadvertently set the fate for his beloved daughters, too.
The only thing that still interests him is his own death, and then at last, facing this final mystery, he regains some of his dignity and purpose. The messenger/chorus describing Oedipus's (off-stage) death was a very good, moving moment.
Generally it was well acted, even if I do have some problems with that particular acting style - but I guess it made sense in the context of this emotionally distanced, intellectual production.
