Ο φόβος (aka The Fear) (1966)

Set in the rural Greek countryside, a sexually repressed and backward young man (Anestis Vlahos) rapes and kills a deaf mute serving girl (Elli Fotiou). His father (Alexis Damianos) and stepmother (Mary Chronopoulou) cover up the killing by disposing of the girl's body. But when their daughter (the beautiful Elena Nathanail) returns home from school in Athens, she senses something very wrong. Directed by Kostas Manoussakis, this disturbing drama has its roots in classic Greek tragedy. It's an unsettling film, the rape and murder sequence is difficult to watch but director Manoussakis slowly builds the apprehension until it's positively ready to burst by the film's last scene. Although it was the official Greek entry at the 1966 Cannes film festival, this vehement look at a family torn from within is little known outside its native country. Shot in stark B&W by Nikos Gardelis, it needs to better known. Worth seeking out. With Spiros Focas.