In the absence of her royal husband Theseus, thought to be dead, Phaedra declares her love to Hippolyte, Theseus's son from a previous marriage.

Marie Bell, once of the Comedie Francaise, enacts the role of the tormented Phedre, enamored of her stepson Hippolyte (Claude Giraud). He in turn loves Aricie (Tania Torrens), a captive. The king, father to Hippolyte and husband of Phedre, is thought dead. When Theseus (Jacques Dacqmine) proves to be alive, tragedy takes its toll. An stylized version of Jean Racine classic, released in 1972 in the U.S. with the French text translated by English subtitles taken from William Packard's Alexandrine translation, the film is mainly a series of monologues by the characters. Acting is good and Packard's rhyming English titles are beautiful in themselves.

"To see Marie Bell in Phedre is a unique opportunity to experience fully what is French Genius." - André Malraux. According to Greek legend, Theseus returned from war with the Minoans on Crete to become king of Athens and took Phedre, the daughter of the vanquished King Minos to be his wife. Phedre fell in love with the Kings son, Hippolyte, but he did not return the love, preferring one his own age. Phedre caused her husband, the King, to be wrongly jealous of his son and prayed to Neptune to destroy him. When Hippolyte was in fact killed after fighting a sea monster, Phedre killed herself in remorse. Starting with this basic legend, Jean Racine, the dramatist considered "the most French of French writers," adapted the story for the stage in 1677.His pure Alexandrine verse, realistically portraying the characters, has led to a continuing appreciation of his works. Marie Bell, thought of so highly by the contemporary French author and statesman Malraux, possesses a classic background in keeping with the purity of the legend and tradition of the French adaptation. A member of the Comedie Francaise since 1928, she began her film career in 1924 and was a remarkably well-preserved 68 years old when she undertook the portrayal of this tragic figure. Her decoration for valor in the French Underground during the war was the Legion of Honor, awarded by General DeGaulle himself. Phedre therefore, comes with a French pedigree as authentic as the Eiffel Tower. A powerful film of human emotion in the style of a classic Greek tragedy.