Movies In Ancient Greece

The answers are yes, yes, no and 'Quo Vadis.' Since 1914, more than 600 movies have been set in ancient Greece or Rome or in some way employ their history and literature.

1. Greek Mythology Movies

'Agora,' for instance, considers the plight of science in a period of intense religious and sectarian conflict and considerable anti-intellectual fanaticism,' he says, 'In this case it resulted in the mob murder of the Alexandrian polymath Hypatia, but 1,500 years later, these attitudes and behaviors are alive and well and just as violent, even in this country. Just listen to the radio.' He adds, 'We will also look at how many earlier classics-based films, especially 'Spartacus,' are grounded in ancient history but speak to common mid-20th century American concerns such as the Cold War and the internal trauma provoked by demagogues like Sen. Joseph McCarthy and the House Committee on Un-American Activities or HUAC.'

The committee, which Harry Truman called 'the most un-American thing in the country today,' was of particular interest to filmmakers because in 1948 it created the Hollywood blacklist and 'Red Channels' list, which destroyed the careers and reputations of thousands in the film, radio and television industries; in government, unions, the arts and well beyond. At the same time, it promoted the production of films and television programs that fed the red-scare hysteria.McGuire points out that in 'Spartacus' actor/producer Kirk Douglas, as the historical slave and gladiator, leads a massive revolt against the excesses of the. Off screen, the gutsy Douglas went mano a mano with HUAC, an act that essentially ended the blacklist and allowed banned filmmakers to return to the industry.The inclusion of 'Chinatown' (1974), the complex film noir set in 1937 Los Angeles, might surprise some, but McGuire says the movie is included because it 'employs of elements of the Oedipus myth to enrich and complicate the plot.

The story reflects the oedipal journey from ignorance to knowledge, a slowly unraveling mystery, family secrets, incest, shot-out eye and shattered lives.' 'Some films take liberties to produce a deliberately campy mish-mash of everything from acting styles to geographical landscapes and costumes,' he says, citing the 2004 film, 'Troy,' in which 'brown, tweedy, leathery Greeks set out to destroy the sunny-skied, blue-and-white Troy.' 'I enjoyed the movie,' he says, 'which in some respects is accurate and in other ways is a takeoff on the genre. It is visually spectacular, and performances by Peter O'Toole and Brian Cox Julie were great, but the writing isn't very good and the movie kills off Menelaus, which certainly wasn't in the Iliad.'

McGuire says these are just a few examples of the issues the course will consider that are inherent in the making and use of historical film as a cultural mirror and culture maker.' The course will consider many more,' he says. 'I guarantee that students will come away with a great deal of knowledge of the real and 'reel' and Rome, and the horror, splendor and weirdness that continues to gallop from the ancient rocks of the Mediterranean shores all the way to the Hollywood hills.'

Greek Mythology Movies

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