Dear Mythologists,
A friendly reminder that the final milestone of our semester project, the finished paper,
is due via email by 11:00 p.m. Remember to include the latest version of
your overall bibliography.
Full details are available on the Project web page, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.
Thanks for a great semester!
DC
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Assignment for Tuesday, 12-13-16
Dear Mythologists,
All good things must come to an end. For Tuesday, December 13, our last class of the semester, please do the following:
(1) Watch O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Ethan and Joel Coen, 2000), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon.
(2) Read Janice Siegel's exhaustive essay, "The Coens’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Homer’s Odyssey," which elucidates just about every possible parallel between the film and the epic poem. Hers is important work, given the Coens' testimony that they'd never bothered to read the Odyssey. Siegel proves the brothers to be artful, Odysseus-like double-dealers.
And, yes, the piece is many pages long, but (a) they're small, journal-sized pages, and (b) the article itself is very accessible, if not downright breezy. You'll be glad you took the time.
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from O Brother to view in class.
DC
All good things must come to an end. For Tuesday, December 13, our last class of the semester, please do the following:
(1) Watch O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Ethan and Joel Coen, 2000), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon.
(2) Read Janice Siegel's exhaustive essay, "The Coens’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Homer’s Odyssey," which elucidates just about every possible parallel between the film and the epic poem. Hers is important work, given the Coens' testimony that they'd never bothered to read the Odyssey. Siegel proves the brothers to be artful, Odysseus-like double-dealers.
And, yes, the piece is many pages long, but (a) they're small, journal-sized pages, and (b) the article itself is very accessible, if not downright breezy. You'll be glad you took the time.
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from O Brother to view in class.
DC
Friday, December 2, 2016
Milestone on Sunday, 12-11-16
Dear Mythologists,
A friendly reminder that the fourth milestone of our semester project, the rough draft, is due via email by 11:00 p.m. Watch your inboxes for an invitation to sign up for meetings with me to discuss your draft starting on Monday, December 12. (This meeting will constitute the fifth milestone.)
Details are available on the Project web page, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.
DC
A friendly reminder that the fourth milestone of our semester project, the rough draft, is due via email by 11:00 p.m. Watch your inboxes for an invitation to sign up for meetings with me to discuss your draft starting on Monday, December 12. (This meeting will constitute the fifth milestone.)
Details are available on the Project web page, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.
DC
Assignment for Thursday, 12-08-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Thursday, December 8, please do the following:
(1) Watch Ulysses (Mario Camerini, 1954), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. Like Helen of Troy two years, later, this Italian-language film is one of the forerunners of the peplum genre.
Why they don't hire me to do taglines, part 1: Before he was Spartacus, Kirk Douglas was...ULYSSES!
Why they don't hire me..., part 2: Before she was Helen of Troy, Rossana Podestà was...NAUSICAA!
(2) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Ulysses to view in class.
DC
(No, there's no secondary reading for today. Focus your non-viewing energies on your rough drafts. You're welcome!)
For Thursday, December 8, please do the following:
(1) Watch Ulysses (Mario Camerini, 1954), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. Like Helen of Troy two years, later, this Italian-language film is one of the forerunners of the peplum genre.
Why they don't hire me to do taglines, part 1: Before he was Spartacus, Kirk Douglas was...ULYSSES!
Why they don't hire me..., part 2: Before she was Helen of Troy, Rossana Podestà was...NAUSICAA!
(2) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Ulysses to view in class.
DC
(No, there's no secondary reading for today. Focus your non-viewing energies on your rough drafts. You're welcome!)
Assignment for Tuesday, 12-06-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Tuesday, December 6, we're going to take a chronological step backward and consider a film that deals with events from before the Trojan War. Please do the following:
(1) Watch Iphigenia (Michael Cacoyannis, 1977), taking notes as you see fit. The DVD is reserved at the library, BUT the film is NOT streaming on Amazon, Hulu or Netflix. It is available on YouTube in versions of varying quality. Make sure you get a version with English subtitles (it's a modern Greek-language film, like A Dream of Passion).
Being an adaptation of Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis, this film shares many of the same concerns as adaptations of the Medea. The movie overall is a feel-bad experience in the best possible way, cathartic in a most Aristotelian sense.
I'll add, for what it's worth, that it's probably my favorite movie in our filmography.
(2) Read Marianne McDonald's essay, "Eye of the Camera, Eye of the Victim," which offers a cogent analysis of the film in light of Euripides' play, as well as a personal response to Iphigenia's tragedy. Note: Her essay comes from Classical Myth and Culture in the Cinema (Oxford, 2001), one of the first major volumes combining Classical Studies and film studies, edited by Martin M. Winkler (who would go on to edit volumes on Gladiator and Troy).
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Iphigenia to view in class.
DC
For Tuesday, December 6, we're going to take a chronological step backward and consider a film that deals with events from before the Trojan War. Please do the following:
(1) Watch Iphigenia (Michael Cacoyannis, 1977), taking notes as you see fit. The DVD is reserved at the library, BUT the film is NOT streaming on Amazon, Hulu or Netflix. It is available on YouTube in versions of varying quality. Make sure you get a version with English subtitles (it's a modern Greek-language film, like A Dream of Passion).
Being an adaptation of Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis, this film shares many of the same concerns as adaptations of the Medea. The movie overall is a feel-bad experience in the best possible way, cathartic in a most Aristotelian sense.
I'll add, for what it's worth, that it's probably my favorite movie in our filmography.
(2) Read Marianne McDonald's essay, "Eye of the Camera, Eye of the Victim," which offers a cogent analysis of the film in light of Euripides' play, as well as a personal response to Iphigenia's tragedy. Note: Her essay comes from Classical Myth and Culture in the Cinema (Oxford, 2001), one of the first major volumes combining Classical Studies and film studies, edited by Martin M. Winkler (who would go on to edit volumes on Gladiator and Troy).
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Iphigenia to view in class.
DC
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Milestone on Sunday, 12-04-16
Dear Mythologists,
A friendly reminder that the third milestone of our semester project, the annotated bibliography, is due via email by 11:00 p.m. Also remember that a tweaked version of your overall bibliography (with mini-thesis) is also due.
Details are available on the Project web page, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.
DC
A friendly reminder that the third milestone of our semester project, the annotated bibliography, is due via email by 11:00 p.m. Also remember that a tweaked version of your overall bibliography (with mini-thesis) is also due.
Details are available on the Project web page, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.
DC
Assignment for Thursday, 12-01-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Thursday, December 1, please do the following:
(1) Watch Troy (Wolfgang Peterson, 2004), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. Remember as you watch that this movie was conceived in the full fervor of post-Gladiator fever.
(2) Read the second half of Looking at Movies Chapter 5 ("Mise-en-Scene") (pp. 187–210).
(3) Read Monica Cyrino's essay, "Helen of Troy" (2007), a pivotal piece in a scholarly volume specifically conceived in response to the film (one of several such volumes edited by the prolific Martin L. Winkler).
(4) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Troy to view in class.
DC
For Thursday, December 1, please do the following:
(1) Watch Troy (Wolfgang Peterson, 2004), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. Remember as you watch that this movie was conceived in the full fervor of post-Gladiator fever.
(2) Read the second half of Looking at Movies Chapter 5 ("Mise-en-Scene") (pp. 187–210).
(3) Read Monica Cyrino's essay, "Helen of Troy" (2007), a pivotal piece in a scholarly volume specifically conceived in response to the film (one of several such volumes edited by the prolific Martin L. Winkler).
(4) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Troy to view in class.
DC
Assignment for Tuesday, 11-29-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Tuesday, November 29, please do the following:
(1) Watch Helen of Troy (Robert Wise, 1956), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. Remember as you watch that this movie is not only the archetype of Troy (2004), but also the precursor of the peplum craze from 1958 onward.
(2) Read the first half of Looking at Movies Chapter 5 ("Mise-en-Scene") (pp. 171–87). This chapter, the last we'll read in the textbook, seems appropriate for an epic of the sort to which Helen of Troy aspires.
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Helen of Troy to view in class.
DC
For Tuesday, November 29, please do the following:
(1) Watch Helen of Troy (Robert Wise, 1956), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. Remember as you watch that this movie is not only the archetype of Troy (2004), but also the precursor of the peplum craze from 1958 onward.
(2) Read the first half of Looking at Movies Chapter 5 ("Mise-en-Scene") (pp. 171–87). This chapter, the last we'll read in the textbook, seems appropriate for an epic of the sort to which Helen of Troy aspires.
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Helen of Troy to view in class.
DC
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Assignment for Tuesday, 11-22-16
Dear Mythologists,
On Tuesday, November 22, we'll bring our unit on Jason & Medea to a close. Please do the following:
(1) Prepare for Quiz 3, which we'll have at the start of class. Most of you may have about 30 minutes to complete it, then take a long break. Those who need extra time can work longer, then take a shorter break. Either way, we'll reconvene at 4:35 p.m. for the second half of class.
(And, yes, since this is a school day, I do expect you to return for the second half. No, the fact that your ride is supposedly leaving campus is not an acceptable excuse to miss either class or the quiz. Sorry — travel is what Wednesday is for.)
(2) Read these excerpts from Homer's Odyssey and come to class prepared to discuss both them as well as the Iliad excerpts assigned the previous Thursday. As before, feel free to fill in the gaps with a reliable summary of the poem.
After the quiz, at 4:35, we'll kick off Unit 4 with a discussion of the Trojan Saga and Homer (hint: not the same thing).
DC
On Tuesday, November 22, we'll bring our unit on Jason & Medea to a close. Please do the following:
(1) Prepare for Quiz 3, which we'll have at the start of class. Most of you may have about 30 minutes to complete it, then take a long break. Those who need extra time can work longer, then take a shorter break. Either way, we'll reconvene at 4:35 p.m. for the second half of class.
(And, yes, since this is a school day, I do expect you to return for the second half. No, the fact that your ride is supposedly leaving campus is not an acceptable excuse to miss either class or the quiz. Sorry — travel is what Wednesday is for.)
(2) Read these excerpts from Homer's Odyssey and come to class prepared to discuss both them as well as the Iliad excerpts assigned the previous Thursday. As before, feel free to fill in the gaps with a reliable summary of the poem.
After the quiz, at 4:35, we'll kick off Unit 4 with a discussion of the Trojan Saga and Homer (hint: not the same thing).
DC
Assignment for Thursday, 11-17-16
Dear Mythologists,
With Thanksgiving break approaching, we're going to have to vary the rhythm of the class a bit. Please read this post and its sequels carefully so that you understand not only WHAT we'll be doing over the next few days, but also WHY.
For Thursday, November 17, please do the following:
(1) Read these excerpts from Homer's Iliad in preparation for Unit 4. We won't discuss them for today's class, but you should read them now in order to avoid conflicting with the Odyssey selections due next class. You may fill in the gaps between books with a reliable online summary of the Iliad, so long as you understand that the summary is no substitute for the grandeur of the epic itself.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
(a) There's no assigned film to view before today's class. Rather, we'll use class time to screen the rarely-shown A Dream of Passion (Jules Dassin,1978), the last film in our Jason & Medea unit, and an interesting meditation on the intersection between myth in art and myth in real life.
(b) We'll begin the screening promptly at 3:40 and watch all the way through. Since the film runs 110 minutes, we'll have to let the tape roll and won't have time for a break. Plan accordingly!
DC
With Thanksgiving break approaching, we're going to have to vary the rhythm of the class a bit. Please read this post and its sequels carefully so that you understand not only WHAT we'll be doing over the next few days, but also WHY.
For Thursday, November 17, please do the following:
(1) Read these excerpts from Homer's Iliad in preparation for Unit 4. We won't discuss them for today's class, but you should read them now in order to avoid conflicting with the Odyssey selections due next class. You may fill in the gaps between books with a reliable online summary of the Iliad, so long as you understand that the summary is no substitute for the grandeur of the epic itself.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
(a) There's no assigned film to view before today's class. Rather, we'll use class time to screen the rarely-shown A Dream of Passion (Jules Dassin,1978), the last film in our Jason & Medea unit, and an interesting meditation on the intersection between myth in art and myth in real life.
(b) We'll begin the screening promptly at 3:40 and watch all the way through. Since the film runs 110 minutes, we'll have to let the tape roll and won't have time for a break. Plan accordingly!
DC
Fall Classics Lecture on Tuesday, 11-15-16
Dear Mythologists,
On Tuesday, November 15, at 5:30 p.m. (David Auditorium) the Classics Department will present its fall lecture: “The Aeneid in America, from First Contact to Final Frontier.”
Our speaker is Professor Meredith Safran of Trinity College, a recognized expert in the field of classical reception. Her presentation will explore the cultural heritage of Vergil’s Aeneid in the United States, from the controversial Vergilian quotation on the 9/11 Memorial in New York, to the recent reboot of the vintage science-fiction series Battlestar Galactica.
Since this lecture is perfect for our seminar, I'm going to offer a 5% bonus to your class participation grade if you attend. Furthermore, if you ask Prof. Safran an intelligent question during the Q&A (or after the talk is over), I'll award an additional 5% bonus.
Additional information follows. I hope to see you there.
DC
What is classical reception? What can classicists contribute when materials and motifs from the ancient world garner the attention of modern audiences? These and other questions will be considered from the perspective of Vergil’s epic poem, Aeneid, drawing case studies from the U.S. Postal Service, the 9/11 Memorial in New York, and the recent Syfy series, Battlestar Galactica.
Published after Vergil’s death in 19 BCE, the Aeneid became an instant classic, a seminal text for the nascent Roman empire. Its story of a man fleeing the destruction of his homeland and searching for a new one echoes loudly in the cultural history of the United States, with its own empire, and is even heard in the genre of the space Western. Professor Safran will help us perceive these echoes and offer some strategies for interpreting them.
WHO: Meredith Safran, Assistant Professor of Classics, Trinity College.
WHAT: “The Aeneid in America, from First Contact to Final Frontier.”
WHEN: Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Davis Auditorium.
On Tuesday, November 15, at 5:30 p.m. (David Auditorium) the Classics Department will present its fall lecture: “The Aeneid in America, from First Contact to Final Frontier.”
Our speaker is Professor Meredith Safran of Trinity College, a recognized expert in the field of classical reception. Her presentation will explore the cultural heritage of Vergil’s Aeneid in the United States, from the controversial Vergilian quotation on the 9/11 Memorial in New York, to the recent reboot of the vintage science-fiction series Battlestar Galactica.
Since this lecture is perfect for our seminar, I'm going to offer a 5% bonus to your class participation grade if you attend. Furthermore, if you ask Prof. Safran an intelligent question during the Q&A (or after the talk is over), I'll award an additional 5% bonus.
Additional information follows. I hope to see you there.
DC
* * * * *
What is classical reception? What can classicists contribute when materials and motifs from the ancient world garner the attention of modern audiences? These and other questions will be considered from the perspective of Vergil’s epic poem, Aeneid, drawing case studies from the U.S. Postal Service, the 9/11 Memorial in New York, and the recent Syfy series, Battlestar Galactica.
Published after Vergil’s death in 19 BCE, the Aeneid became an instant classic, a seminal text for the nascent Roman empire. Its story of a man fleeing the destruction of his homeland and searching for a new one echoes loudly in the cultural history of the United States, with its own empire, and is even heard in the genre of the space Western. Professor Safran will help us perceive these echoes and offer some strategies for interpreting them.
WHO: Meredith Safran, Assistant Professor of Classics, Trinity College.
WHAT: “The Aeneid in America, from First Contact to Final Frontier.”
WHEN: Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Davis Auditorium.
Assignment for Tuesday, 11-15-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Tuesday, November 15, please do the following:
(1) Watch Medea (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1969), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon.
(2) Read Kristi M. Wilson's essay, "Hero Trouble: Blood, Politics, and Kinship in Pasolini's Medea," another entry from the Of Muscles and Men volume. Wilson will fill in the background on Pasolini and his intentions, which you might want after seeing this film.
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Medea to view in class.
NOTE: Our speaker, Meredith Safran, might be joining us in class, so look sharp!
DC
For Tuesday, November 15, please do the following:
(1) Watch Medea (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1969), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon.
(2) Read Kristi M. Wilson's essay, "Hero Trouble: Blood, Politics, and Kinship in Pasolini's Medea," another entry from the Of Muscles and Men volume. Wilson will fill in the background on Pasolini and his intentions, which you might want after seeing this film.
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Medea to view in class.
NOTE: Our speaker, Meredith Safran, might be joining us in class, so look sharp!
DC
Friday, November 4, 2016
Milestone on Saturday, 11-12-16
Dear Mythologists,
A friendly reminder that the second milestone of our semester project, the preliminary bibliography, is due via email by 11:00 p.m.
Details are available on the Project web page, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.
DC
A friendly reminder that the second milestone of our semester project, the preliminary bibliography, is due via email by 11:00 p.m.
Details are available on the Project web page, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.
DC
Assignment for Thursday, 11-10-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Thursday, November 10, please do the following:
(1) Watch Medea (Lars Von Trier, 1988), taking notes as you see fit. NOTE: THE FILM IS NOT STREAMING on any of the major video services, so please plan your viewing accordingly. As per usual, the DVD is available on reserve in Scribner Library. (Yes, it's on YouTube, but not in English.)
(2) Read "'An Orchid in the Land of Technology': Narrative and Representation in Lars Von Trier's Medea," by Susan Joseph and Marguerite Johnson. NOTE: To access this article, you might have to first access the Project Muse database via the Scribner Library portal.
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Medea to view in class.
DC
For Thursday, November 10, please do the following:
(1) Watch Medea (Lars Von Trier, 1988), taking notes as you see fit. NOTE: THE FILM IS NOT STREAMING on any of the major video services, so please plan your viewing accordingly. As per usual, the DVD is available on reserve in Scribner Library. (Yes, it's on YouTube, but not in English.)
(2) Read "'An Orchid in the Land of Technology': Narrative and Representation in Lars Von Trier's Medea," by Susan Joseph and Marguerite Johnson. NOTE: To access this article, you might have to first access the Project Muse database via the Scribner Library portal.
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Medea to view in class.
DC
Assignment for Tuesday, 11-08-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Tuesday, November 8, please elect to do the following:
(1) Watch Jason and the Argonauts (Nick Willing, 2000), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon.
(2) Perhaps not unsurprisingly, there's not much worthy scholarship available on this screen text. Given that fact, and because the film is long, please just consider the following questions as you watch:
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Jason and the Argonauts to view in class.
DC
For Tuesday, November 8, please elect to do the following:
(1) Watch Jason and the Argonauts (Nick Willing, 2000), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon.
(2) Perhaps not unsurprisingly, there's not much worthy scholarship available on this screen text. Given that fact, and because the film is long, please just consider the following questions as you watch:
- How does this version pay homage to and/or self-consciously correct the 1963 version?
- What is this version's conception of heroism vs. that of other screen texts?
- How does Medea in this version compare to Medea in the 1963 film?
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Jason and the Argonauts to view in class.
DC
Assignment for Thursday, 11-03-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Thursday, November 3, please do the following:
(1) Watch Jason and the Argonauts (Don Chaffey and Ray Harryhausen, 1963), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. The movie clearly falls on the action/adventure side of the Jason & Medea myth, and will also give you another chance to appreciate Ray Harryhausen — this time in his prime.
(2) Read "Myth and the Fantastic," which is Chapter 6 of Alastair Blanshard's and Kim Shahabudin's 2011 book, Classics on Screen. This piece will review the salient facts of Harryhausen's career and move our ongoing discussion of special effects a little further.
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Jason and the Argonauts to view in class.
DC
For Thursday, November 3, please do the following:
(1) Watch Jason and the Argonauts (Don Chaffey and Ray Harryhausen, 1963), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. The movie clearly falls on the action/adventure side of the Jason & Medea myth, and will also give you another chance to appreciate Ray Harryhausen — this time in his prime.
(2) Read "Myth and the Fantastic," which is Chapter 6 of Alastair Blanshard's and Kim Shahabudin's 2011 book, Classics on Screen. This piece will review the salient facts of Harryhausen's career and move our ongoing discussion of special effects a little further.
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Jason and the Argonauts to view in class.
DC
Assignment for Tuesday, 11-01-16
Dear Mythologists,
On Tuesday, November 1, our unit on Jason & Medea begins. As before, we start with a look at some ancient sources on these characters.
Note that the myth divides pretty cleanly into two parts: adventure in the quest for the Golden Fleece versus tragedy in the death of Jason and Medea's children. We'll be spending equal cinematic time with both, but our primary and secondary sources for today will emphasize the latter.
(1) Read the following chapters from Emma Griffiths' book, Medea (Routledge, 2006). These brief overviews of Medea's mythology and her treatment by Euripides (and, by extension, those of Jason) ought to set the tone for this unit.
NOTE: It's up to you whether you want to read Chapter 6 before or after Euripides' play (see item 3, below).
(3) Read Euripides' tragedy, Medea, arguably the tragedian's most famous play and the quintessential Medea text. Though our first films will focus on the voyage of the Argo, we'll quickly realize that tragedy is never too far away for Jason and Medea.
DC
On Tuesday, November 1, our unit on Jason & Medea begins. As before, we start with a look at some ancient sources on these characters.
Note that the myth divides pretty cleanly into two parts: adventure in the quest for the Golden Fleece versus tragedy in the death of Jason and Medea's children. We'll be spending equal cinematic time with both, but our primary and secondary sources for today will emphasize the latter.
(1) Read the following chapters from Emma Griffiths' book, Medea (Routledge, 2006). These brief overviews of Medea's mythology and her treatment by Euripides (and, by extension, those of Jason) ought to set the tone for this unit.
NOTE: It's up to you whether you want to read Chapter 6 before or after Euripides' play (see item 3, below).
- Chapter 1, "Introducing Medea"; and
- Chapter 6, "Euripides' Version of the Myth."
(3) Read Euripides' tragedy, Medea, arguably the tragedian's most famous play and the quintessential Medea text. Though our first films will focus on the voyage of the Argo, we'll quickly realize that tragedy is never too far away for Jason and Medea.
DC
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Milestone on Saturday, 10-29-16
Dear Mythologists,
A friendly reminder that the first milestone of our semester project, the thesis, is due via email by 11:00 p.m.
Details are available on the Project web page, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.
DC
A friendly reminder that the first milestone of our semester project, the thesis, is due via email by 11:00 p.m.
Details are available on the Project web page, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.
DC
Quiz on Thursday, 10-27-16
Dear Mythologists,
On Thursday, October 27, come to class for the sole purpose of taking our second quiz. Since I'll be away at a conference, I'll distribute the quiz by proxy; my proxy will collect the papers and leave them for me to grade.
This quiz will have the same format as our first, and should take about 30 minutes to complete (unless you've arranged to have extra time). Once you are finished, turn the quiz in, and have a good weekend.
DC
On Thursday, October 27, come to class for the sole purpose of taking our second quiz. Since I'll be away at a conference, I'll distribute the quiz by proxy; my proxy will collect the papers and leave them for me to grade.
This quiz will have the same format as our first, and should take about 30 minutes to complete (unless you've arranged to have extra time). Once you are finished, turn the quiz in, and have a good weekend.
DC
Assignment for Tuesday, 10-25-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Tuesday, October 25, please do the following:
(1) Watch the other big Hercules film of 2014, the simply-named Hercules (dir. Brett Ratner). In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. This film will conclude our second unit and ought to give us some closure.
(2) Read Angeline Chiu's essay-in-progress (distributed last class) on the interpersonal dynamics of the movie's characters.
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Hercules to view in class.
DC
For Tuesday, October 25, please do the following:
(1) Watch the other big Hercules film of 2014, the simply-named Hercules (dir. Brett Ratner). In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. This film will conclude our second unit and ought to give us some closure.
(2) Read Angeline Chiu's essay-in-progress (distributed last class) on the interpersonal dynamics of the movie's characters.
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Hercules to view in class.
DC
Assignment for Thursday, 10-20-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Thursday, October 20, please do the following:
(1) Watch The Legend of Hercules (Renny Harlin, 2014). The movie is available on DVD via closed reserve in Scribner Library, and is also streaming on Amazon. The film is one of two big-budget Hercules productions from this year.
NOTE: There's no scholarly resources on this film, but you might recall Gideon Nisbet's line of thought about Hercules being imported to Rome quite easily.
(2) Read pp. 121–57 of Looking at Movies Chapter 4 ("Elements of Narrative"). This will be one of our last assigned readings in LAM, so I hope you've enjoyed the book. Remember, it is a resource for you in your analyses and semester projects.
(3) Speaking of the semester project, please review the Project web page and come to class ready to ask questions, if necessary.
(4) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of sequences from our film to view in class.
DC
For Thursday, October 20, please do the following:
(1) Watch The Legend of Hercules (Renny Harlin, 2014). The movie is available on DVD via closed reserve in Scribner Library, and is also streaming on Amazon. The film is one of two big-budget Hercules productions from this year.
NOTE: There's no scholarly resources on this film, but you might recall Gideon Nisbet's line of thought about Hercules being imported to Rome quite easily.
(2) Read pp. 121–57 of Looking at Movies Chapter 4 ("Elements of Narrative"). This will be one of our last assigned readings in LAM, so I hope you've enjoyed the book. Remember, it is a resource for you in your analyses and semester projects.
(3) Speaking of the semester project, please review the Project web page and come to class ready to ask questions, if necessary.
(4) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of sequences from our film to view in class.
DC
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Assignment for Tuesday, 10-18-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Tuesday, October 18, please do the following:
(1) Watch the nostalgia-inducing (Disney's) Hercules (John Musker and Ron Clements, 1997), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon.
(2) Read Chris Pallant's essay, "Developments in Peplum Filmmaking: Disney's Hercules," another entry from the terrific Of Muscles and Men volume. Pallant will help us connect the dots between Harryhausen, first-wave peplum films, and the Disney version.
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Hercules to view in class.
DC
For Tuesday, October 18, please do the following:
(1) Watch the nostalgia-inducing (Disney's) Hercules (John Musker and Ron Clements, 1997), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon.
(2) Read Chris Pallant's essay, "Developments in Peplum Filmmaking: Disney's Hercules," another entry from the terrific Of Muscles and Men volume. Pallant will help us connect the dots between Harryhausen, first-wave peplum films, and the Disney version.
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Hercules to view in class.
DC
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Assignment for Thursday, 10-13-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Thursday, October 13, please do the following:
(1) Watch the following episodes from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, widely acknowledged as being among the TV series' best:
(2) Read the excerpts from Chapter 2 ("Mythconceptions") of Gideon Nisbet's book, Ancient Greece in Film and Popular Culture (Liverpool University Press, 2008). Nisbet is that rare scholar who offers more than a descriptive appraisal of H:TLJ, and his analyses here will help us make sense of Hercules in the 90s and beyond.
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of sequences from TWO of the three episodes to view in class.
DC
For Thursday, October 13, please do the following:
(1) Watch the following episodes from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, widely acknowledged as being among the TV series' best:
- (2.8) "The Other Side" (George Mendeluk, 1995);
- (5.3) "Resurrection" (Philip Sgriccia, 1998); and
- (6.8) "Full Circle" (Bruce Campbell, 1999).
(2) Read the excerpts from Chapter 2 ("Mythconceptions") of Gideon Nisbet's book, Ancient Greece in Film and Popular Culture (Liverpool University Press, 2008). Nisbet is that rare scholar who offers more than a descriptive appraisal of H:TLJ, and his analyses here will help us make sense of Hercules in the 90s and beyond.
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of sequences from TWO of the three episodes to view in class.
DC
Assignment for Tuesday, 10-11-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Tuesday, October 11, please do the following:
(1) Watch the third-wave peplum Hercules (Luigi Cozzi, 1983), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library,the film is
also streaming on Amazon (though, oddly, the "cover" image there is from the 1958 Steve Reeves version). Our task is to make sense of this movie within the peplum tradition and in the context of its own times: toward that end, Clash of the Titans (1981) might provide some instructive parallels.
(2) Read the following sections of Looking at Movies Chapter 3 ("Types of Movies"): "Six Major American Genres" (pp. 90–108) and "Evolution and Transformation of a Genre" (pp. 108–11). Since peplum was clearly an evolving genre, these sections might help us think about its form and content in the 1980s and beyond.
(3) Read the following sections from chapter 7 of Emma Stafford's book, Herakles (Routledge, 2012): "Hercules the Movie Star" and "Conclusions: Herakles/Hercules." These sections trace the history of the peplum genre but quickly branch out into the 1980s and beyond, and so set the tone for the latter half of our Heracles/Hercules unit. Stafford herself is not kind toward the film we will watch for today's class, but, knowing that, we might aspire to try harder.
(4) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Hercules to view in class.
DC
For Tuesday, October 11, please do the following:
(1) Watch the third-wave peplum Hercules (Luigi Cozzi, 1983), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library,
(2) Read the following sections of Looking at Movies Chapter 3 ("Types of Movies"): "Six Major American Genres" (pp. 90–108) and "Evolution and Transformation of a Genre" (pp. 108–11). Since peplum was clearly an evolving genre, these sections might help us think about its form and content in the 1980s and beyond.
(3) Read the following sections from chapter 7 of Emma Stafford's book, Herakles (Routledge, 2012): "Hercules the Movie Star" and "Conclusions: Herakles/Hercules." These sections trace the history of the peplum genre but quickly branch out into the 1980s and beyond, and so set the tone for the latter half of our Heracles/Hercules unit. Stafford herself is not kind toward the film we will watch for today's class, but, knowing that, we might aspire to try harder.
(4) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Hercules to view in class.
DC
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Assignment for Thursday, 10-06-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Thursday, October 6, please do the following:
(1) PEPLUM DOUBLE FEATURE! Watch Hercules Unchained (Pietro Francisci, 1959), the sequel to Hercules (1958); and Hercules against the Moon Men (1964). Take notes as you see fit. In addition to being reserved at the library (both are on disk 5 of the Sci-Fi Classics series), the films are also streaming on Amazon. As you watch, you might consider how the films uphold and/or subvert the conventions of the Hercules peplum genre as we have begun to define it.
(2) Read "Hercules, Politics, and Movies" by Maria Elena D'Amelio. Her essay — which appears in Of Muscles and Men (ed. M. Cornelius), a volume devoted to peplum — discusses how the late-50s and early-60s Hercules movies played in both Italy and the U.S.
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of sequences from BOTH FILMS to view in class.
DC
For Thursday, October 6, please do the following:
(1) PEPLUM DOUBLE FEATURE! Watch Hercules Unchained (Pietro Francisci, 1959), the sequel to Hercules (1958); and Hercules against the Moon Men (1964). Take notes as you see fit. In addition to being reserved at the library (both are on disk 5 of the Sci-Fi Classics series), the films are also streaming on Amazon. As you watch, you might consider how the films uphold and/or subvert the conventions of the Hercules peplum genre as we have begun to define it.
(2) Read "Hercules, Politics, and Movies" by Maria Elena D'Amelio. Her essay — which appears in Of Muscles and Men (ed. M. Cornelius), a volume devoted to peplum — discusses how the late-50s and early-60s Hercules movies played in both Italy and the U.S.
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of sequences from BOTH FILMS to view in class.
DC
Assignment for Tuesday, 10-04-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Tuesday, October 4, please do the following:
(1) Watch the epoch-making Hercules (Le fatiche di Ercole) (Pietro Francisci, 1958), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. Remember that this is the film that launched the peplum genre and its Hercules sub-genre.
(2) Read Chapter 8, "Editing" in Looking at Movies, pp. 339-75. Here you'll learn about the work of the film editor and techniques of transitioning between shots.
(3) Read "Peplum Traditions: Hercules," which is Chapter 3 of Alastair Blanshard's and Kim Shahabudin's 2011 book, Classics on Screen. This chapter covers the origins of the peplum genre, with case studies from our film.
(4) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Hercules to view in class.
DC
For Tuesday, October 4, please do the following:
(1) Watch the epoch-making Hercules (Le fatiche di Ercole) (Pietro Francisci, 1958), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. Remember that this is the film that launched the peplum genre and its Hercules sub-genre.
(2) Read Chapter 8, "Editing" in Looking at Movies, pp. 339-75. Here you'll learn about the work of the film editor and techniques of transitioning between shots.
(3) Read "Peplum Traditions: Hercules," which is Chapter 3 of Alastair Blanshard's and Kim Shahabudin's 2011 book, Classics on Screen. This chapter covers the origins of the peplum genre, with case studies from our film.
(4) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Hercules to view in class.
DC
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Assignment for Thursday, 09-29-16
Dear Mythologists,
On Thursday, September 29, our unit on Heracles/Hercules begins, as before, with a look at some ancient sources on the hero.
(1) Read the articles on Heracles and his labors in the Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts. Given the hero's vast popularity in antiquity and beyond, you'll quickly discover that these article are long, with sections devoted to each of Heracles' canonical labors, along with an annotated lists of relevant visual and literary works. Remember, don't sweat the details of these lists, but do peruse them and see if you can identify any trends.
(2) Watch the podcast on the tragic poet Euripides and the podcast on Greek tragedy for context on item (3).
(3) Read Euripides' tragedy, Heracles, one of the major primary sources about the hero. As you read, consider the various ways in which Euripides has adapted the story to suit his genre. You might also ask yourself: If you were going to see a tragedy about Heracles, what would your expectations be?
(4) Read Looking at Movies Chapter 6 ("Cinematography"), pp. 259–86 (on camera angles, camera movement, shots, and special effects). Optional: If you're enjoying yourself, begin with the first part of the chapter, pp. 225–59.
DC
On Thursday, September 29, our unit on Heracles/Hercules begins, as before, with a look at some ancient sources on the hero.
(1) Read the articles on Heracles and his labors in the Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts. Given the hero's vast popularity in antiquity and beyond, you'll quickly discover that these article are long, with sections devoted to each of Heracles' canonical labors, along with an annotated lists of relevant visual and literary works. Remember, don't sweat the details of these lists, but do peruse them and see if you can identify any trends.
(2) Watch the podcast on the tragic poet Euripides and the podcast on Greek tragedy for context on item (3).
(3) Read Euripides' tragedy, Heracles, one of the major primary sources about the hero. As you read, consider the various ways in which Euripides has adapted the story to suit his genre. You might also ask yourself: If you were going to see a tragedy about Heracles, what would your expectations be?
(4) Read Looking at Movies Chapter 6 ("Cinematography"), pp. 259–86 (on camera angles, camera movement, shots, and special effects). Optional: If you're enjoying yourself, begin with the first part of the chapter, pp. 225–59.
DC
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Assignment for Tuesday, 09-27-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Tuesday, September 27, please do the following:
(1) Watch Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Chris Columbus, 2010), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon.
(2) Read Drew McWeeny's 2010 interview with the film's director and screenwriter, Chris Columbus and Craig Titley (originally posted on hitfix.com). In lieu of serious scholarship on the film, this interview might give you insight into the intentions of the film's creative team.
(3) Read Chapter 3, "Medusa and the Gorgons," of Daniel Ogden's book on Perseus (Routledge, 2008). We've had a chance to discuss Perseus in some detail; this chapter will help us discuss his nemesis.
NOTE: For today's class I'll suspend my usual call for clips. Not only will we have our first analysis presentation, but we'll also be wrapping up Unit 1 with our first quiz. In other words, we'll have plenty on our collective plate today.
DC
For Tuesday, September 27, please do the following:
(1) Watch Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Chris Columbus, 2010), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon.
(2) Read Drew McWeeny's 2010 interview with the film's director and screenwriter, Chris Columbus and Craig Titley (originally posted on hitfix.com). In lieu of serious scholarship on the film, this interview might give you insight into the intentions of the film's creative team.
(3) Read Chapter 3, "Medusa and the Gorgons," of Daniel Ogden's book on Perseus (Routledge, 2008). We've had a chance to discuss Perseus in some detail; this chapter will help us discuss his nemesis.
NOTE: For today's class I'll suspend my usual call for clips. Not only will we have our first analysis presentation, but we'll also be wrapping up Unit 1 with our first quiz. In other words, we'll have plenty on our collective plate today.
DC
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Assignment for Thursday, 09-22-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Thursday, September 22, please do the following:
(1) Watch Wrath of the Titans (Jonathan Liebesman, 2012), taking notes as you see fit. The film is available on reserve at Scribner Library and also streaming on Amazon. Here we have an opportunity, perhaps, to think about franchise development and continuity, both of which have parallels in ancient myth-making (think, for example, of tragic trilogies).
(2) Read the first half of Looking at Movies Chapter 6 ("Cinematography"), pp. 225–59. Our Analysis assignments are drawing near, so it's essential that you cultivate your cinematic literacy and be able to put it to work.
(3) As Barsam and Monaghan remind us in Chapter 1 of Looking at Movies, there are kinds of analysis beyond the formal. So read Stacie Raucci's essay on the marketing of cinematic heroes in early twenty-first century films, a study of how movies speak to and reaffirm common culture.
(4) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Wrath to view in class.
DC
For Thursday, September 22, please do the following:
(1) Watch Wrath of the Titans (Jonathan Liebesman, 2012), taking notes as you see fit. The film is available on reserve at Scribner Library and also streaming on Amazon. Here we have an opportunity, perhaps, to think about franchise development and continuity, both of which have parallels in ancient myth-making (think, for example, of tragic trilogies).
(2) Read the first half of Looking at Movies Chapter 6 ("Cinematography"), pp. 225–59. Our Analysis assignments are drawing near, so it's essential that you cultivate your cinematic literacy and be able to put it to work.
(3) As Barsam and Monaghan remind us in Chapter 1 of Looking at Movies, there are kinds of analysis beyond the formal. So read Stacie Raucci's essay on the marketing of cinematic heroes in early twenty-first century films, a study of how movies speak to and reaffirm common culture.
(4) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Wrath to view in class.
DC
Assignment for Tuesday, 09-20-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Tuesday, September 20, please do the following:
(1) Watch the remake of Clash of the Titans (Louis Leterrier, 2010), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. You might wish to consider the ways in which the film improves upon — or attempts to improve upon — the original.
(2) Read Chapter 2, "Principles of Film Form" in Looking at Movies, pp. 35–63. Here you'll explore issues such as form and content, realism and antirealism, and cinematic language writ large.
(3) Read my 2015 essay on the motif of figurines in Clash '81, which, in addition introducing you to how I think about movies, and hopefully saying something interesting about the original film, might also provide you with a point of contrast between the original and the remake.
(4) Read thoroughly the Analysis page of our website and note any questions. I've tried, on this page, to detail the assignment and its objectives with clarity.
(5) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Clash '10 to view in class. The guidelines for your comment (in essence, 3-4 sentences) are found under the "Class participation" section of our Syllabus page.
DC
For Tuesday, September 20, please do the following:
(1) Watch the remake of Clash of the Titans (Louis Leterrier, 2010), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. You might wish to consider the ways in which the film improves upon — or attempts to improve upon — the original.
(2) Read Chapter 2, "Principles of Film Form" in Looking at Movies, pp. 35–63. Here you'll explore issues such as form and content, realism and antirealism, and cinematic language writ large.
(3) Read my 2015 essay on the motif of figurines in Clash '81, which, in addition introducing you to how I think about movies, and hopefully saying something interesting about the original film, might also provide you with a point of contrast between the original and the remake.
(4) Read thoroughly the Analysis page of our website and note any questions. I've tried, on this page, to detail the assignment and its objectives with clarity.
(5) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Clash '10 to view in class. The guidelines for your comment (in essence, 3-4 sentences) are found under the "Class participation" section of our Syllabus page.
DC
Friday, September 9, 2016
Assignment for Thursday, 09-15-16
Dear Mythologists,
For Thursday, September 15, please do the following:
(1) Watch Clash of the Titans (Desmond Davis & Ray Harryhausen, 1981), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. As you'll see, the film is a showcase for the trademark animation of Ray Harryhausen, a longtime fan of myths and legends of every stripe.
(2) Read "What about Animation?" in Looking at Movies Chapter 3 ("Types of Movies"), pp. 111–15. This section will both gather up our thread about animation from our viewing of Mythopolis last Thursday and provide further context for Harryhausen's special effects in Clash '81. It's up to you whether you want to read these pages before you watch the movie, or afterward.
(3) After you watch the movie (not before), read "In the Lap of the Gods," which is Chapter 11 of Harryhausen's memoir, An Animated Life (Billboard Books, 2004). Clash '81 was his last film, so the chapter not only details the behind-the-scenes work on that project, but also caps his career. As you read, reflect on how you feel about the movie after you read Harryhausen's memoir as opposed to how you felt while watching it. I'll be interested to hear what you have to say about that.
(4) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Clash '81 to view in class. The guidelines for your comment (in essence, 3-4 sentences) are found under the "Class participation" section of our Syllabus page.
DC
For Thursday, September 15, please do the following:
(1) Watch Clash of the Titans (Desmond Davis & Ray Harryhausen, 1981), taking notes as you see fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming on Amazon. As you'll see, the film is a showcase for the trademark animation of Ray Harryhausen, a longtime fan of myths and legends of every stripe.
(2) Read "What about Animation?" in Looking at Movies Chapter 3 ("Types of Movies"), pp. 111–15. This section will both gather up our thread about animation from our viewing of Mythopolis last Thursday and provide further context for Harryhausen's special effects in Clash '81. It's up to you whether you want to read these pages before you watch the movie, or afterward.
(3) After you watch the movie (not before), read "In the Lap of the Gods," which is Chapter 11 of Harryhausen's memoir, An Animated Life (Billboard Books, 2004). Clash '81 was his last film, so the chapter not only details the behind-the-scenes work on that project, but also caps his career. As you read, reflect on how you feel about the movie after you read Harryhausen's memoir as opposed to how you felt while watching it. I'll be interested to hear what you have to say about that.
(4) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from Clash '81 to view in class. The guidelines for your comment (in essence, 3-4 sentences) are found under the "Class participation" section of our Syllabus page.
DC
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Assignment for Tuesday, 09-13-16
Dear Mythologists,
On Tuesday, September 13, our unit on Perseus & Medusa begins with a look at some ancient sources on Perseus, as well as some readings about engaged viewing. Please do the following — which looks like a lot in list form, but ought to be manageable:
(1) Read the article on Perseus in the Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts. Note that the article has three parts: a general section on Perseus; a section on Perseus and Medusa; and a section on Perseus and Andromeda. Each of these is followed by an annotated list of relevant visual and literary works. Don't sweat the details of these lists, but do peruse them and see if you can identify any trends.
(2) Watch the podcast on the Roman poet Ovid for context on item (3).
(3) Read Ovid's account of the Perseus story from books 4 and 5 of his epic poem, Metamorphoses. As is typical of his poem, Ovid begins in the middle of things, starting with the god Bacchus, but soon making his way to Perseus' grandfather, Acrisius. If the Oxford Guide offers a straightforward account of Perseus' story, what do you make of Ovid's less-than-straightforward version?
(4) Read Looking at Movies Chapter 1 ("Looking at Movies"), pp. 1–22. Optional: If you're enjoying yourself, keep going with the analyses of the Harry Potter films, pp. 22–31. Here's your chance to think about principles of engaged viewing in advance of our first film.
(5) Read the excerpts from Jon Solomon's 2007 essay, "Viewing Troy: Authenticity, Criticism, Interpretation." We'll revisit this piece in full later in the semester, but for now, try to take to heart what Solomon says about ways NOT to watch movies, and the banal critiques that less-than-engaged viewers often level at films.
NOTE: If you choose not to print the PDFs of our readings, but rather to bring them on your laptop or another device, then you'll need to sign an agreement form. I'll bring a stack of them to next class.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
DC
On Tuesday, September 13, our unit on Perseus & Medusa begins with a look at some ancient sources on Perseus, as well as some readings about engaged viewing. Please do the following — which looks like a lot in list form, but ought to be manageable:
(1) Read the article on Perseus in the Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts. Note that the article has three parts: a general section on Perseus; a section on Perseus and Medusa; and a section on Perseus and Andromeda. Each of these is followed by an annotated list of relevant visual and literary works. Don't sweat the details of these lists, but do peruse them and see if you can identify any trends.
(2) Watch the podcast on the Roman poet Ovid for context on item (3).
(3) Read Ovid's account of the Perseus story from books 4 and 5 of his epic poem, Metamorphoses. As is typical of his poem, Ovid begins in the middle of things, starting with the god Bacchus, but soon making his way to Perseus' grandfather, Acrisius. If the Oxford Guide offers a straightforward account of Perseus' story, what do you make of Ovid's less-than-straightforward version?
(4) Read Looking at Movies Chapter 1 ("Looking at Movies"), pp. 1–22. Optional: If you're enjoying yourself, keep going with the analyses of the Harry Potter films, pp. 22–31. Here's your chance to think about principles of engaged viewing in advance of our first film.
(5) Read the excerpts from Jon Solomon's 2007 essay, "Viewing Troy: Authenticity, Criticism, Interpretation." We'll revisit this piece in full later in the semester, but for now, try to take to heart what Solomon says about ways NOT to watch movies, and the banal critiques that less-than-engaged viewers often level at films.
NOTE: If you choose not to print the PDFs of our readings, but rather to bring them on your laptop or another device, then you'll need to sign an agreement form. I'll bring a stack of them to next class.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
DC
Welcome!
Dear Mythologists,
Welcome to the Classical Myth on Screen blog, which I'll use to shape the ongoing narrative of our course. Here you'll find details on our assignments, announcements and notifications, and general musings on classics, the cinema, and related topics.
With each post, you'll get an email alerting you to the new content. The message will contain the entire post, so you'll have the option of reading it on email or navigating over to the blog. If you'd like to reply to a post, please use the "Comments" feature on the blog. Everyone in the class will be able to read your response.
None of this is meant to substitute for in-class interaction. However, since our sessions together will go by quickly, I hope the blog will save us time here and there.
Again, welcome!
DC
Welcome to the Classical Myth on Screen blog, which I'll use to shape the ongoing narrative of our course. Here you'll find details on our assignments, announcements and notifications, and general musings on classics, the cinema, and related topics.
With each post, you'll get an email alerting you to the new content. The message will contain the entire post, so you'll have the option of reading it on email or navigating over to the blog. If you'd like to reply to a post, please use the "Comments" feature on the blog. Everyone in the class will be able to read your response.
None of this is meant to substitute for in-class interaction. However, since our sessions together will go by quickly, I hope the blog will save us time here and there.
Again, welcome!
DC
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