Greek Mythological Subject-Matter - Essay Example

Explain the cinematic appeal of Greek mythological matter. The culture and mythology of the ancient world have been a favourite matter of cinema since its inception. Between the edges of bold images of the colourful and the absurd on the one hand and devoted endeavours at the exact and, at times, the awe-inspiring on the other, movies that portray the ancient world or depict its mythical subject matters reveal the appeal the ancient world has constantly roused in audiences’ imagination. Ancient myths frequent in movies reveal the vigour of Western culture. Narration of Greek mythologies on film demonstrates that filmmakers have drawn on mythologies intentionally so as to express their opinion of their own period or that they unknowingly depict cultural patterns. Greek mythologies can also create settings of imaginative entertainment. In these instances the ancient myths could become filled with an imaginative art and intellect not clearly obvious to an ordinary audience. Genre cinema, like war or western, which on the surface is totally remote or different from the classical period, could still use themes or plots known from the distant past, especially those about heroes, gods, and goddesses. Greek mythology has a lasting cinematic appeal. These myths continue to exist and attract filmmakers not because they really happened or merely creations of the imagination but because they are believed to be facts in popular culture. The cinema may not portray the traditional renditions of the mythologies but it depicts widely accepted ideas, the occurrences people usually resort to for simple, practical stories which relate to their actual experiences and can be used in their everyday endeavours. These myths explain life’s most important concerns and provide tales to live by. We do not have to believe in the tales of Greek mythologies, but we may believe that there is power within us that we can draw upon to wrestle injustice. These Greek mythologies also express innate and religious principles of golden ages. There are obviously numerous similarities between religious experiences and movie watching. A film based on Greek mythology merges entertainment with religious intentions. Although cinema obliges the mythological characters to be portrayed as plain human beings and their behaviours and deeds have to be shown rationally, it is quite easy for a lot of moviegoers to appreciate things that are impossible or that challenge reason, like miracles. When cinema attempts to portray impossible things in a scientific way, it loses its marvel and fascination for the divine. A lot of audiences take pleasure in the wonder and awe of Greek mythologies portrayed through cinematic effects. The connection of the audiences to the cinematic gods and goddesses could be attributed to the typical devices of character attachment and the affinity that an audience could develop for cinematic characters. In fact, one of the strongest appeals of Greek mythologies is viewing one’s created heroes, gods, and goddesses on film. Cinema gives life to the mythological characters. Cinema also enables fascination and glamour in that the filmmakers can pick fine-looking, attractive actors; locations can be lavish or delicate; and the soundtrack is performed by the most talented artists. Silent cinema, in particular, expresses an insatiable enthusiasm for myths of ancient Greece. Greece offered special effects, the supernatural, desires, and fantasy. Film representation of Greece mythologies and heroes bear an intense physical power; their images are entertaining, their imagination unhindered by the pressures of history, and their language is simple. But it is essential to bear in mind that their main characters depict not only the sexual conventions of 1950s’ film than those of classical Greece. The myth of the Greek hero has clear similarities with western hero mythology, which partly explains Greek mythology’s cinematic appeal. Main themes like adventure, bloodshed, and immortality persistently reappear in western cinema. The supreme importance and the greatest intellectual and emotional attraction of Greek mythology are to be seen in movies that deserve to be called works of art. Popular films based on Greek mythologies are Philip Saville’s Oedipus the King, Don Chaffey’s Jason and the Argonauts, Lars Von Trier’s Medea, Desmond Davis’s Clash of the Titans, Tarsem Singh’s Immortals, and so on. These films depict gods and goddesses as humanlike characters, not immune to errors. Greek mythologies become appealing to audiences because they can relate to these humanlike gods and goddesses. They recognise from these movies their own imagined stories, their frustrations, and the possibility of the impossible. Greek mythology will continue to attract the film industry, which is already obvious in the number of mythology-based films that are being produced in the contemporary period. With the rapid technological developments, Greek mythology on film radically transformed. These technological advancements further heightened the appeal of Greek mythology, especially its presentation of the unexplained, the supernatural, the magical, and the fantastical. More and more audiences are hooked on the myths of the mighty ancient Greece. (2) ‘Hercules is just a surface, a pile of muscles with nothing beneath’. Discuss this statement with reference to the cinematic depiction of Hercules. Hercules is one of the most popular heroes in ancient Greece and Rome, but has never been justly represented on films. Hercules was usually seen in cheap Italian-produced gladiator films like Hercules and the Hydra. In the 1960’s, Hercules reached its lowest point with The Three Stooges Meet Hercules. The plan was not to produce a praiseworthy film depicting the ‘real’ Hercules of the ancient world, but to overwhelm the market with unflattering, insulting portrayals of the hero. Because of this contemporary representation of Hercules on film, many critics were forced to comment that “Hercules is just a surface, a pile of muscles with nothing beneath”. Instead of showing the hero’s intellect and moral strength, the film industry unduly focused on his incredible physical strength, which made the hero superficial—a shallow, worldly, and comical hero. When Joseph Levine, an American producer, saw muscleman Steve Reeves in the movie Hercules directed by Pietro Francisci in 1959, Levine immediately realised he had discovered a usable genre to boost the gradually declining Western cinema. By translating the Italian film and selling it to American viewers, he successfully exploited the hero’s image. Hercules symbolised the new collaborations in the film industry; it offered a sexual appeal to female viewers; it also thrilled younger viewers. It is films such as this, plainly and recklessly visualised and almost naively carried out, that represent the manner pop culture can be exploited for unforeseen, personal intentions. The movie Hercules was not really a dedicated attempt to breathe life into ancient mythology. It subtly panders to other desires, mostly physical ones. For a child unaware of the bigger, mythological issues, who reads Greek mythology from textbooks and comics, Hercules becomes merely a commercialised, commodified image of a hero. Hercules shifted the mind's eye towards a less bold and spirited image of a hero. More importantly, the cinematic representation of Hercules simply projected a sexual appeal of maleness. In the exaggerated physique of Steve Reeve, Hercules revealed a perfect example of how a man could achieve physical attractiveness. This was not an issue of publicised physical allure but of a meticulously accomplished living model. Emerging from the arena of intensive physical workouts, Reeves was a living commercial endorser of a new type of manhood. Other actors who played Hercules symbolised a new sexual sentiment, a new form of chauvinism, which the Old West strongly popularised beforehand. Those who played Hercules became symbols of brute force, of male superiority; in essence, it simply reinforced gender inequality. Hercules was portrayed as a hero rescuing helpless women; without Hercules, the female lead will cease to be of any significance to the narrative. Instead of focusing on the chivalry of Hercules, films placed emphasis on his musculature and youth. Hence, a mythological hero immediately became an icon of reflection, an ideal figure that all ‘real’ men should emulate and look up to. He was an icon of desire and bliss. He became a sexual manifestation of a worldly ideal—beauty. Hercules Unchained of Joseph Levine demonstrates how Hercules exercised his diplomatic abilities, trying to put off an impending war; yet, his fundamental charisma is still physical. The films of this time contributed to the sexual uprising by reinforcing the unrestrained exhibition of the male body. Both Hercules and Hercules Unchained took advantage of the lure of eroticism, which became part of the entertainment. Audiences were encouraged to largely focus on Steve Reeve’s muscular, beefcake physique. The spectacle of Reeve’s glossy, bronzed skin represented a culturally defiant occurrence. The cinematic representation of Hercules allowed a socially forbidden parody of masculinity. These films produced a sexually arousing commodification of men—a glimpse at the rough and strong parts of the patriarchs—that other filmmakers would find detestable. But a complete mockery of Hercules was inflicted by the movie Hercules in New York played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Film critics include it in their list of worst movies of all time. The movie was nothing more than a total insult to the mythological figure of Hercules. Musclemen were the staple of most action movies. In retrospect, one can think about the connection between these deliberate flaunting of skin and flesh and the underground endorsement of the physical fitness magazines that were considered pornography at the time. However, the Hercules movies were enjoyable and appealing for their uninhibited admiration of innate male sexuality. Teenage enthralment is not only taken advantage of by the cinematic representation of Hercules; teenagers, especially boys, are pushed to chew over power, authority, and brute force. Hence it is crucial to educate people, especially the younger generation, about these important figures of ancient tradition. Without proper education and truthful knowledge of the ancient world, ridicule of mythological figures, like Hercules, will glaringly continue. Read More