Movie adaptations of Greco-Roman myths
March 10, 2009 5:44 PM Subscribe
Movie adaptations of stories from Greco-Roman mythology.
I'm open to all suggestions, but I'm particularly interested in movies that creatively re-work mythological episodes from Greece and Rome. In other words, I'm not as interested in, for example, films of plays, literally staged, as I am in movies that take some liberties with mythological tales.
But if you think that a certain movie production of a classical tragedy or comedy is particularly good, please recommend it.
I am already aware of: O Brother Where Are Thou (Odyssey); the documentary, Protagonist (Bacchae); and My Fair Lady or Clueless (Pygmalion).
If anyone is familiar with short stories or poems which re-work classical myths, please mention those, too.
Many thanks.
I'm open to all suggestions, but I'm particularly interested in movies that creatively re-work mythological episodes from Greece and Rome. In other words, I'm not as interested in, for example, films of plays, literally staged, as I am in movies that take some liberties with mythological tales.
But if you think that a certain movie production of a classical tragedy or comedy is particularly good, please recommend it.
I am already aware of: O Brother Where Are Thou (Odyssey); the documentary, Protagonist (Bacchae); and My Fair Lady or Clueless (Pygmalion).
If anyone is familiar with short stories or poems which re-work classical myths, please mention those, too.
Many thanks.
The song "The Origin Of Love" from the movie Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and the accompanying animation, retell the story of Aristophanes' speech at Eros' party from Plato's Symposium.
posted by nicwolff at 6:16 PM on March 10, 2009
posted by nicwolff at 6:16 PM on March 10, 2009
One of my favorites is Black Orpheus.
(batmonkey, you beat me to it - Clash of the Titans is a hoot.)
posted by gudrun at 6:25 PM on March 10, 2009
(batmonkey, you beat me to it - Clash of the Titans is a hoot.)
posted by gudrun at 6:25 PM on March 10, 2009
not sure about films but "their smell makes me want to cry" by menis koumandareas is a great collection of greek short stories that might fit your needs.
posted by skaye at 6:40 PM on March 10, 2009
posted by skaye at 6:40 PM on March 10, 2009
One Touch of Venus is a bit Pygmalionish (despite the title).
posted by brujita at 7:24 PM on March 10, 2009
posted by brujita at 7:24 PM on March 10, 2009
Not myth, but The Warriors is based on Xenophon's Anabasis
posted by IndigoJones at 6:17 AM on March 11, 2009
posted by IndigoJones at 6:17 AM on March 11, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions, thus far. If anyone has a movie version of Medea or Oedipus Rex to recommend, that would be great.
posted by sarahalisonmiller at 7:00 AM on March 11, 2009
posted by sarahalisonmiller at 7:00 AM on March 11, 2009
It's a film version of a play, but Mourning Becomes Electra (1947) is an updated version of Aeschylus's Orestia trilogy.
posted by mattbucher at 7:45 AM on March 11, 2009
posted by mattbucher at 7:45 AM on March 11, 2009
If you could find a copy of "The Gospel at Colonus," you would would be in Oedipus/Clarence Fountain hog-heaven! Even the liner notes for the original cast recording will be enjoyable, though actually being in the theater for the play was life-changing.
But wait, what's this? AiiieeeYAHOO! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B1Q3EO
posted by wenestvedt at 9:15 AM on March 11, 2009
But wait, what's this? AiiieeeYAHOO! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B1Q3EO
posted by wenestvedt at 9:15 AM on March 11, 2009
Dan Simmons wrote Ilium and Olympos (movie in the works) as a modern day tale of The Iliad and a bit of The Odyssey.
Not sure what your goal is but Ilium is about Thomas Hockenberry, a twentieth century professor of classics who was resurrected centuries later to simply record as accurately as possible the events of the Trojan War which is being re-enacted on the Martian plain of Ilium. Greek gods are actually "post humans" (that is humans who have changed their bodies and capabilities via advanced technology to such an extent they are every bit as powerful as the ancient gods). They influence the progress of the war (which includes all your favorites like Achilles, Hector, Paris, Ajax, Agamemnon, Meneleus, Helen (oh yes, Helen) and others) in much the same way as the ancient gods did.
Hockenberry's patron is Aphrodite. She has given him strict instructions to not interfere. Just record and report findings to her muse. He knows The Iliad and The Odyssey inside and out and can report on any differences no matter how tiny. For most of Ilium he does that. But as you know, stuff happens. He interferes in the natural course of events in a gigantic, blissfully irresponsible, and hilarious way and from that point on things go haywire.
The Anaeid gets mixed in the story in that The Amazons show up (not so in Iliad and Odyssey, Hockenberry makes serious note of that). So the plot really gets a work over.
Anyway, that's one of three story lines going on in the two books. They are Science Fiction works that contain lengthy digressions on Shakespeare and Proust and deal with nano-technology, quantum teleportation, reincarnation via technology, sentient robots, literacy, literary critique, and art as creation (as opposed to "reflection"--art is a hammer not a mirror). Wild and crazy stuff. They are a great couple of books if you're interested.
posted by Lord Fancy Pants at 1:20 PM on March 11, 2009
Not sure what your goal is but Ilium is about Thomas Hockenberry, a twentieth century professor of classics who was resurrected centuries later to simply record as accurately as possible the events of the Trojan War which is being re-enacted on the Martian plain of Ilium. Greek gods are actually "post humans" (that is humans who have changed their bodies and capabilities via advanced technology to such an extent they are every bit as powerful as the ancient gods). They influence the progress of the war (which includes all your favorites like Achilles, Hector, Paris, Ajax, Agamemnon, Meneleus, Helen (oh yes, Helen) and others) in much the same way as the ancient gods did.
Hockenberry's patron is Aphrodite. She has given him strict instructions to not interfere. Just record and report findings to her muse. He knows The Iliad and The Odyssey inside and out and can report on any differences no matter how tiny. For most of Ilium he does that. But as you know, stuff happens. He interferes in the natural course of events in a gigantic, blissfully irresponsible, and hilarious way and from that point on things go haywire.
The Anaeid gets mixed in the story in that The Amazons show up (not so in Iliad and Odyssey, Hockenberry makes serious note of that). So the plot really gets a work over.
Anyway, that's one of three story lines going on in the two books. They are Science Fiction works that contain lengthy digressions on Shakespeare and Proust and deal with nano-technology, quantum teleportation, reincarnation via technology, sentient robots, literacy, literary critique, and art as creation (as opposed to "reflection"--art is a hammer not a mirror). Wild and crazy stuff. They are a great couple of books if you're interested.
posted by Lord Fancy Pants at 1:20 PM on March 11, 2009
a movie version of Medea
Neil LaBute wrote an extremely dark play called Bash: Latter-Day Plays that had a filmed-for-TV version made (and shown on HBO, I think). The play has three parts, one of which is a monologue called "Medea Redux". It was performed by Calista Flockheart in the filmed version. Another one of the three sections is a modern take on the Iphigenia story, although more removed from its source, IMHO, than the Medea section is from its source. I don't know what myth or story the third section of the play references, if any. More info here.
posted by Asparagirl at 8:16 PM on March 11, 2009
Neil LaBute wrote an extremely dark play called Bash: Latter-Day Plays that had a filmed-for-TV version made (and shown on HBO, I think). The play has three parts, one of which is a monologue called "Medea Redux". It was performed by Calista Flockheart in the filmed version. Another one of the three sections is a modern take on the Iphigenia story, although more removed from its source, IMHO, than the Medea section is from its source. I don't know what myth or story the third section of the play references, if any. More info here.
posted by Asparagirl at 8:16 PM on March 11, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
Clash of the Titans
posted by batmonkey at 5:48 PM on March 10, 2009 [1 favorite]