Socrates (film)

Socrates
Directed by	Roberto Rossellini
Written by	Jean-Dominique de La Rochefoucauld Marcella Mariani Renzo Rossellini Roberto Rossellini
Produced by	Renzo Rossellini
Starring	See below
Cinematography	Jorge H. Martín
Edited by	Alfredo Muschietti
Music by	Mario Nascimbene
Running time	120 minutes
Countries	Spain, Italy, France
Language	Italian

Socrates is a 1971 Spanish-Italian-French film directed by Roberto Rossellini. The film is an adaptation of several Plato dialogues, including The Apology, Euthyphro, Crito, and Phaedo.

Plot

A false accusation leads the philosopher Socrates to trial and condemnation in 5th century BC Athens.

His enemies, led by a young man named Meletus, accuse him in court, arguing that the philosopher preaches crazy doctrines to the youth, and does not believe in the gods, but demons. Socrates makes his "apology" (i.e., legal defense), but the citizens are against him; so Socrates is sentenced to death, and held in prison, awaiting execution. His disciples are desperate, and one of them, Crito, tries to help him by encouraging him to flee. Socrates rejects this idea, saying he must obey the rulers of the city. Socrates then resolves to die, and dies as soon as he is forced to drink hemlock.

Production

Rossellini wanted to make a film on Socrates many years before starting production. He would joke that like the Athenian philosopher he failed to make money. Location shooting could not take place in Greece because of the dictatorship so the movie was filmed in Patones Arriba, a town in Spain that was dressed up to look like Athens. Most of the script is lifted directly from de la Rochefoucauld's translations of Plato dialogues, particularly the Apology. Christian symbolism is also used heavily in this film. Socrates refers to his followers as his "disciples" and they all drink from a chalice in a scene heavy with symbolism.

Cast

• Jean Sylvère as Socrates
• Anne Caprile as Santippe
• Giuseppe Mannajuolo as Apollodoro
• Ricardo Palacios as Critone
• Antonio Medina as Platone
• Julio Morales as Antistene
• Emilio Miguel Hernández as Meleto
• Emilio Hernández Blanco as Ipperide
• Manuel Angel Egea as Cebete
• Jesús Fernández as Cristobolo
• Eduardo Puceiro as Simmia
• José Renovales as Fedo
• Gonzalo Tejel as Anito
• Antonio Requena as Ermete
• Roberto Cruz as Un vecchio
• Francisco Sanz as Un attore
• Antonio Alfonso as Eutifrone
• Juan Margallo as Crizia
• Román Ariznavarreta as Calicle
• Francisco Calalá as Lisia
• Adolfo Thous as Ippio
• Bernardo Ballester as Teofrasto
• Jean-Dominique de La Rochefoucauld as Fedro
• César Bonet as Prete
• Jerzy Radlowsky as Giullare
• Pedro Estecha as Focione
• Rafael de la Rosa as Trasibulo
• Simón Arriaga as Servitore della cicuta
• Iván Almagro as Ermogene
• Constant Rodriguez as Aristefo
• Stefano Charelli as Efigene
• Luis Alonso Gulias as Echino
• Jesus A. Gordon as Lamprocle
• José Luis Ortega as Giovane figlio di Socrate
• Elio Seraffini as Prete

External links

• Socrates at IMDb
• Socrates (Spanish subtitles) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
• essay on Socrates by Frank Miller