King Kreon (Jensen) of Corinth wants to reward Greek warrior Jason (Kier) for his heroic exploits by giving him both his throne and his daughter Glauce (Glinska) in marriage. Jason seems willing, despite the fact that he is already married to Medea (Olesen), with whom he’s sired two young sons. Now a big inconvenience, Medea is to be banished but asks Jason to take the children. She sends them to the king with a present for Glauce- and what a present! With no means and no future, Medea takes the only course of action available to her: revenge.

Adapted from the Euripedes play and using an unproduced screenplay by the legendary Carl Theodor Dreyer, von Trier plays homage to the great Danish master while infusing this classical drama with his own particular vision. The stark and barren locations, sparse dialogue and painterly frames evoke Dreyer’s silent masterpieces. Shooting on video for Danish television, von Trier fashions a haunting landscape of desolation and a work of austere beauty that does full justice to its venerable source material.