Prometheus Bound (1927)

Young people dressed in ancient clothes holding torches line up on the steps leading to the Ancient Theatre. Then, Aeschylus' play, Prometheus Bound, commences. In the middle of the theatre, a towering rock dwarfs the protagonists, and God Hephaestus nails humankind's benefactor, Prometheus, down with the aid of the deities, State and Violence. The magnificent dance of the beautiful nymphs, Oceanids, starts to take place, and their superb close-ups prepare the ground for the arrival of Goddess Hera's mortal priestess, Io, who addresses Prometheus wearing a horned mask. Afterwards, the ritualistic movements of the Oceanids mesmerise, as God Hermes ascends the boulder of torture. In the end, the tragedy concludes with a climactic close-up of weary Prometheus.