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

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).

• Chapter 1, "Introducing Medea"; and
• Chapter 6, "Euripides' Version of the Myth."

(2) (If you need a refresher from Unit 2) Watch the podcast on the tragic poet Euripides and the podcast on Greek tragedy for context on item (3).

(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

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