The Hollywood legend is given a warts-and-all portrait that highlights her tremendous power and the foibles of “no bullshit” Method acting.
It’s easy for filmmaker Charalambos “Harry” Mavromichalis to find the mythic qualities in Olympia Dukakis. Throughout the bio-doc Olympia, the acclaimed actress is oracle, sibyl, and muse in all her glory and terror. Together, Mavromichalis and Dukakis elegantly write the epic story of second-wave feminism into her life story.
Olympia recounts Dukakis’ career and life, starting from when the future Oscar winner first began to make theaters tremor in the early 1960s, building her own (The Whole Theatre) from the ground up. Filled with heartwarming archival footage, charming insights from colleagues, and poignant moments with her husband, actor Louis Zorich, Olympia is informative and engaging in all the ways you hope for as a tribute to the Hollywood legend.
Mavromichalis, a Greek filmmaker himself, places Dukakis’ Greekness central to her identity. Dukakis was tackling the modern Western canon at a time when Greeks were still in the process of being acclimated into broadening definitions of whiteness. She remains both lauded and feared as the wild ethic near-other, capable of profound displays of disquietude and tragedy. When she returns to her ancestral village with her grandchildren and stands in an old amphitheater, it feels as though centuries of theatrical history has circled back on itself, touching briefly, before spiraling on.
Dukakis’ own historical moment in the theater was one of “no bullshit,” a kind of post-Method feminism that flexed its power on “true representation” and “authenticity.” Mavromichalis and Dukakis allow us a glimpse at how deeply she embodies these pursuits of the second-wave feminist movement, for better and worse. For much of the documentary, Dukakis has no makeup on. She’s crass and explosive. She drinks; she smokes weed; everything she says sounds like Tennessee Williams misquoting Chekov. To be privy to such a rawness is awe-inspiring. Mavromichalis often positions us beneath her, making us feel like we are sitting at the feet of an immortal Greek philosopher.
But such openness is revealing, and Olympia reminds us of the kinds of behaviors one gets away with once you have carte blanche to “tell it like it is”. In one souring scene, as Dukakis and her colleague sit on her porch talking about Dukakis’ reputation as a thunderous and demanding teacher, the contours of this “authenticity” are drawn in bold. In this scene, Dukakis, explaining her frustration with an unnamed former black female student, proudly recounts the day she approached the woman mid-scene and ripped her wig off, as a “lesson” on stripping away “artifice.” The pair erupt in congratulatory laughter.
To be privy to such a rawness is awe-inspiring.
This is not to say Dukakis or Olympia should be cancelled. Rather, both Dukakis and her biography reflect the promises and problems of second wave feminism and should be approached as such. Dukakis’ going without makeup for a documentary or role is not the same as a Black woman going without a wig. This moment reminds us of the racist base structures supporting white feminism in which ‘the real’ and ‘the authentic’ are redefined, but still within a white bourgeois worldview and often against the intersectional realities of BIPOC. As legendary as Dukakis is, the realities of 2020 give us the opportunity to look back at the outrageous behaviors of assertive actors at the time and reevaluate how they fit within established power structures.
Though it may not present anything new for the genre, and reveals the truths and ugliness in its subject’s central ideology, Olympia is a must-see for fans of the actress, and the form of old-school Method performance she embodies. It’s a film of teachable moments about the triumphs of the immigrant experience, the vagaries of theater, and the will of the Homeric heroine at its center.
Olympia is currently available on digital and VOD.
Olympia Trailer:
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
After a years-long hiatus, scientist and explorer Albert Lin is coming back to National Geographic with a fresh new season of Lost Cities, renamed “Lost Cities Revealed.” In the past, Lin, who is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a real-life Indiana Jones, has traveled everywhere from the ancient Knights Templar in Israel to ... How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
If you’re a fan of true crime and insider docu-shows like The First 48 and Court Cam, then you’re probably already familiar with A&E. The cable channel is home to other reality TV gems like Hoarders, Duck Dynasty, and Storage Wars (they’ve moved on to spin-offs like Road Wars, Customer Wars, and Prison Wars now). ... How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
As the sister channel of the much bigger Univision, Unimás is home to popular Spanish-language telenovelas and talk shows (yes, including El Gordo y La Flaca), as well as a couple of sports events and programs. Most notably, however, Unimás also operates a couple of station affiliates around the country, so it also reports local ... How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial