The first of four films that make up Pasolini’s “Mythical Cycle,” OEDIPUS REX adapts Sophocles’ Greek tragedy in startlingly literal terms. In prewar Italy, the infant Edipo is abandoned in the desert by his jealous father, at which point the film transitions to Pasolini’s breathtaking ancient Greece. Raised by adopted parents who happen to be the king and queen of Corinth, the young orphan soon leaves his comfortable refuge, attempting to outrun a prophesy that foretells that he will one day kill his father in order to marry his mother. Featuring impressive set and costume design as well as unforgettable sword fights, OEDIPUS REX is a stunning adaptation of Greek mythology.

A startling allegory and impenetrable mystery, TEOREMA follows the strange sexual exploits of a family that falls prey to the allure of a sudden intruder. Terence Stamp delivers an eerie performance as the mysterious guest, known only as “the Visitor,” who completely enamors family members Silvana Mangano, Massimo Girotti, Anne Wiazemsky and Andrés José Cruz Soublette. The second installment of Pasolini’s “Mythical Cycle” and the first time he worked primarily with professional actors, the film is a haunting critique of bourgeois society.

Retired American professor Burt Lancaster lives a quiet, comfortable life in Rome surrounded by his books, paintings and other conversation pieces – until he is forced to rent a floor in his palazzo to a coarse marchesa (Silvana Mangano) and her companions. Visconti’s look at a bastion of tradition confronted by upper-class decadence earned a David di Donatello award for Best Film and boasts a strong cast including Helmut Berger and Claudia Cardinale.