In a comment, list
three adaptations (changes) of the
Odyssey that you noticed in the film and found particularly effective, interesting, or strange. Why did you choose these three examples? Then, please give your general response to the movie in a thoughtful, coherent manner. PAY ATTENTION TO GRAMMAR AND SPELLING!
First, I thought it was interesting how they named the main character Eulysses. Eulysses is the same thing as Odysseus, and I see the comparison directly because they both are both leaders that constantly get their men into trouble. The second adaptation is how the man that stole their money had one eye, like the cyclops in the Odyssey. Odysseus/Eulysses both get their men into trouble in situations with these one-eyed monsters. Lastly, George Nelson cares about Kleos, similar to many characters in the Odyssey. When someone calls him "Babyface", he gets very upset. He has to obtain a good name and reputation. Although the entire story wasn't the same as the Odyssey, themes, characters, and issues are embedded into the story.
ReplyDeleteIn the film, there was the prophet at the beginning, just like Tiresias in the Odyssey. There were also three sirens, which were the three women by the river. Another adaptation was Polyphemus in the form of the Big Dan. I chose these three because they are all memorable because of how similar they are to characters in the Odyssey. I also thought that the movie itself was well done. I thoroughly enjoyed the development of characters, as well as the plot. I found it humorous that Ulysses continued to try to explain everything that happened as if he understood it.
ReplyDeleteThere were a few adaptions in the film that stuck out to me. The first good adaptation was in the beginning when Everett was trapped in chains. This was a more modern symbol on Calypso holding Odysseus back. An adaptation that held significance to me was when the sirens actually got a hold of Pete unlike in the "Odyssey" were Odysseus got away scott-free. I thought this was a good adaptation because although in the "Odyssey" Odysseus seems super human, in the film Everett makes mistakes like everyone else.Another adaptation was when they substituted the Devil for Poseidon. I thought that this adaptation was especially helpful because while Odysseus made his journey over sea, Poseidon's realm, Everett made his journey over the land, more like of the Devil's land.
ReplyDeleteO Brother Where Art Thou shows several adaptations from Homer's The Odyssey. First, Everett always worried about the condition of his hair. In the Odyssey, Odysseus always worried about his kleos, and how his actions would strengthen it. Second, the Polyphemus is adapted into the movie, but in the KKK scene, rather than being stabbed in the eye by a stake (the flag), he is killed by the flaming cross. Finally, the sirens are adapted into the story, because Delmar heard the voices of the seductive women and wanted to go towards them. When they wake up from their enjoyable night, they find Pete gone, and they later find out he was turned in. While not following the Odyssey to a tee, O Brother Where Art Thou integrates the main events of Odysseus' journey home so that one can make the connection to the two forms. I enjoyed the movie. It was easy to follow, and I could see the adaptations included in the movie. I also thought it was quite funny.
ReplyDeleteOne adaptation of the movie was the Sirens. In the Odyssey the birds song attracted the men, but it resulted in being captured on the island forever. Similarly in the the movie three women's song drew Everett, Delmar, and Peter towards them, but also in the end Pete was turned in to the police. This adaption was affective, because it showed how women can seduce mean, and how they are always drawn to them no matter the consequences.
ReplyDeleteA second adaption the hard product that Everett used throughout the movie. It corresponds to Odysseus obsession with himself and pride. This adaptation was very effective, because it like the viewers know, like Odysseus, Everett cared a lot about his appearance, himself, and what people thought of him.
Finally, when Everett dragged Delmar into the picnic with Big Dan it resulted in the beating of both of them, and their money was stolen. In the Odyssey, Odysseus lead his men into the dangerous cave of the Cyclops where some of his men were killed. This section in the movie made viewers fully understand Everett's selfishness, and his greed.
I think this movie was a very effective adaptation of the book. We were able to translate Odysseus' struggles in to modern time and fully understand the character more. The movie also added comedy to keep us intrigued. Overall I think the movie gave us a fresh and modern view of the old time classic.
The movie begins with three male criminals escaping from a prison. Ulysses being the leader of the three men. Ulysses is the Roman name for Odysseus. The concept of them escaping from prison is similar to that of Odysseus finally leaving the Trojan War. Although the life in the prison was difficult, Ulysses' real challenges lie before him. I think this adaptation is interesting, because the director compares the Trojan War to a prison, holding Odysseus back. Odysseus is fighting by force, just like Ulysses is at the prison by force. It makes the war seem darker and less glorious than it seemed when previously reading The Odyssey. (I will comment the rest later).
ReplyDeleteA second well adapted scene from the Odyssey is that of Polyphemus. In the book, Polyphemus eats Odysseus' crew. In the movie, Polyphemus is still hungry; he eats a ton. When he is done with his meal, he rips a branch off a tree. This resembles Polyphemus' extreme strength as a giant. Back in the movie, he beats both Ulysses and his "crew". He takes their money, and he kills, what Ulysses believes to be another member of his gang. This interpretation shows Polyphemus as almost a worse character due to the fact that not only does he kill a companion, but he leaves Ulysses incredibly badly off. A final adapted scene was that of the sirens. Sirens were believed to be ugly awful bird-like creatures that sat atop cliffs and sang to sailors. Their voice was said to be so irresistible that all men were lured into their mist, only to be killed. Odysseus sails past the sirens in The Odyssey by having his men put wax in their ears while he himself was tied down. In the movie, no one could resist the sirens. Three lovely ladies seduced them all. One was captured and turned into the police for bounty. In this adaptation, we can see Odysseus, or Ulysses, in a new light. Unlike the book, the men do not escape the sirens' wrath. Ulysses is seduced by the sirens, like Odysseus was by Calypso and Circe, and he does not think to escape. This scene clearly exhibits the vanity of Odysseus. Finally, I would like to say that I liked the movie. It was interesting to see how the directors in Hollywood were able to understand and develop such an interesting adaptation of such a beloved classic. The movie made me laugh, and it intrigued me deeply. Thank you MRS. Flemming for such a good movie.
DeleteThe film was incredibly effective, and it is definitely one of the better movies I have seen recently. I am generally not a fan of books turned movies, but I think the Cohen brothers toed a precarious line rather well: they did The Odyssey justice while making the film unique and original. The first adaption that resonated with me was the Soggy Bottom Boys’ song, "Man of Constant Sorrow". The lyrics reminded me very much of Odysseus, specifically "I am a man of constant sorrow, I've seen trouble all my days." I also like the song musically; it was pleasing to the ear. The second adaptation I found interesting was John Goodman as Big Dan The Bible Man. It was, I assume on purpose, a thinly veiled attempt at representing Polyphemus. After all, Big Dan only had one eye. Everett walked into a fancy restaurant he probably should not have been dining in; just like Odysseus led his men into the cave he should have stayed away from. Big Dan lured Everett away from help, beat him, and robbed him. The fact that Big Dan got away shows us the Cohen brothers' opinion on Odysseus and Polyphemus --- they found issue with how Odysseus acted and made Everett pay as a result. Finally, the last adaptation that struck me was Everett screaming, “Never trust a female!” after he found out his wife was marrying Vernon T. Waldrip. Agamemnon said the same thing about Clytemnestra when Odysseus spoke with him in the Underworld, and I found it intriguing that the Cohen brothers made sure Agamemnon’s message was relevant in O Brother, Where Art Thou. I really enjoyed the movie, and out of all the adaptations I have knowingly studied, it is the most successful one.
ReplyDeleteWhen the movie began to play, it started off by saying the first line in the Odyssey.. It made sense to put that line or quote at the beginning because it is one of the most known quotes in literature. I wasn't surprised by it. Another adaptation that the film pointed out was all the names.. They used the names for their enemies.. (Cyclops, Menelaus, Tiresias, and Poseidon).
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that the film makers knew how to incorporate these names to such distinct men. Another major symbol I noticed throughout the movie, was the Cow. At the very end of the movie, it closed with a cow standing on top of the roof of the flooded house. In the Odyssey, Tireseus warns Odysseus not to eat the cattle of the sun, and Odysseus warns his crew members later on..But they eat it anyway. That was portrayed throughout the film by the three fugitives getting caught every once and a while. It was strange to me to see the cow on top of Delmar's house, because in the Odyssey, the cow isn't portrayed in that way. It would interest me to find out what the film director was really thinking when putting that scene in there.
One of the most obvious adaptations that was in the film was how Everett's middle name is Ulysses which, in Latin, is Odysseus. This flat out shows how this whole movie is based completely on the Odyessey. (Besides the fact it says that in the beginning of the movie). Another very interesting adaptation in the movie was how the Underworld is represented by a KKK ceremony. The person that also represented Hades was the politician Walter Stokes. Wearing the bright red cloak definitely helped personify that Mr. Stokes was the "Devil". My favorite adaptation had to be how Polyphemus was displayed as John Goodman. Goodman was a rather great actor for this part due to the fact that his waist matches the description to that of the Cyclops. This movie had many other adaptations that really helped back up the fact that it was based off the Odyssey. The whole movie seemed very well played out and had a great ending with the old-blind prophet still pushing his way along on the train tracks. George Clooney really set the tone with a fantastic performance as the lead man with the huge obsession with his looks and hair. Overall, I would give this movie a eight and a half out of ten!
ReplyDeleteThe Movie, O Brother Where Art Thou, is a fantastic movie, as well as adaptation to the Odyssey. In the movie, there are many scenes and characters that represent things from the Odyssey. One of the most prominent adaptations in the movie is the scene with the women in the river that attract Pete and the others to them with their song. In the novel however, the men are not pulled to the Sirens like they are in the movie. Another example of an adaptation form the Odyssey is Dan Teague, who represents Polyphemus. Dan lures the men, making them think they will receive a reward, like Odysseus who thought he would get money and gifts from Polyphemus. Then Dan goes on to beat up the men, which resembles Polyphemus eating the some of Odysseus’s men, and take their money. Later on in the movie, Everett and his friends dress up as KKK members to save their friend Johnny from being hung. I think that when they dress up as members, it represents how they hide under the sheep and escape, but not before burning Dan with the cross. The final adaptation from the movie is Vernon Waldrip, the suitor to Penny, Everett’s ex-wife. This resembles the suitors that want to marry Penelope. Everett tries to beat up Waldrip, but he loses and is kicked out of Woolworths, contrary to the novel. In conclusion, O Brother Where Art Thou was a great adaptation of the Odyssey and a top of the line movie that I think everyone who reads the Odyssey should see.
ReplyDeleteThe first adaption i found interesting was the way Big Dan possibly died. He was set to be the cyclops from The Odyssey because he was blind in one eye. During the KKK lynching mob as the three men were getting away with their rescued friend, Delmar threw the confederate flag into the crowd of klansmen as a spear. The pointed end of the flag was soaring in the direction of Dan as if it were to stab him through his good eye. He ended up catching the flag just inches away from his eye. As soon as he caught the flag, the boys cut down the burning cross and it seemed to be falling onto Big Dan before the scene changed. The second was Ulysses's wife's name. Her name was Penny which is very similar to Penelope, Odysseus's wife. The strange aspect to all of this was that Penny had nothing in common with Penelope. Penny did not want to marry Ulysses or even see him again. The final adaption was Ulysses telling Pete never to trust a woman. I find this interesting because instead of receiving the news, it was the Odysseus figure giving the news to another man. I picked these three adaptions because they were all similar to the book, but were very different from the book in a huge way. Because of this I found the movie to be a great retold version of the book that at the same time, is hard to predict because not much went exactly as expected.
ReplyDeleteIn "O Brother Where Art Though" one adaptation throughout the whole movie I enjoyed was Everett's wits. Seeing how he used his intelligence against others was very entertaining and rather funny. Just like Odysseus, Everett would use his cleverness to trick others. Another adaptation is when the Soggy Bottoms boys just recorded their hit song. He told the blind radio DJ that three of them would just have to put X's because they cannot write. This was brilliant because if they wrote down their real names, they could have been traced back as criminals. This is an adaptation because in the Book when Odysseus said his name was nobody, this also saved his identity. My last adaptation is when Everett and the Saggy Bottoms boys snuck into the dinner. They were disguised as a band with, ragged clothes, grey beards, and caps. They were disguised so they would not be recognized and so they could get in so Everett could talk to Penny. I think this relates to the book because when Odysseus comes into his palace he is disguised as well just so he could get in. He is disguised as a beggar, which is what I think the director was going when he dressed the Saggy Bottom Boys. Overall, their are many adaptations that stand out in the movie, and many are very subtle.
ReplyDeleteThey're for the last sentence~
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DeleteOf three adaptations of the Odyssey in the movie, my favorite was Everett and his obsession with his hair. In the actual book, Odysseus is obsessed with his Kleos, Personal image, which was extremely important in the Ancient World. Everett is continuously making sure that his hair looks good, no matter what happens, While Odysseus is trying to do the same with his Kleos. The second adaptation in the movie that I liked was When George, Babyface, Nelson shoots the cow with his tommy gun in order to get the herd to move infront of the pursing cops, and halt them. That is a great reference to when Odysseus' men slaughtered the sun cows, because in both cases, bad luck follows. The final adaptation that I noticed was the reference to the Cyclops and his, injury/ death. During the clan meeting, the cyclops, recognizes the three boys and reveals them to the crowd. During their escape, Everett throws the clan flag into the air, which has a pointed end, and it looks for a moment it would blind the cyclops' other eye. (I do realize that the real cyclops has only one eye). The cyclops does catch the flag, before it hits his eye, but is then crushed by the flaming cross, that Everett cut the line to, and dies as a result. Over all I really enjoyed the Movie, and thought it was really well done. I enjoyed the subtle references to the Odyssey, and loved how the movie ended. I am probably gonna re-watch it in my free time.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this hilarious adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey", I truly believe that is has been one of the more successful of its time. The director and writer of this movie adapted many large components of the Odyssey into a more semi-modern environment, the reconstruction South. One major change in the movie was Everett's obsession with the state of his hair. He continues to look for hair products and pomade that help him seem more respectable and clean unlike his two companions Delmar and Pete. This adaptation relates to the Odyssey because it represents the idea of Kleos except with a modern spin. In the Odyssey, Odysseus was constantly looking for ways to gain power, wealth, and publicity through his dangerous actions like the asking for the parting gift of the Cyclops. This is important because in the film, Everett, in any situation no matter the danger, always preoccupied himself with the health of his hair which portrays the theme that some people may focus too much on some unimportant material object(s). Next was Big Dan, the Cyclops, who was also part of the KKK group. In the movie however he was not blinded by the spear (the flag post) but instead killed by the falling burning cross. This moment shows that many people can be very deceiving because first, Dan introduced himself as a holy bible salesman only looking to spread God's word. However, he turned out to be a vicious and greedy man who only desired wealth. Lastly, the Sirens or girls washing in the pond, also was a crucial change from the original book. In the picture, we see three women who seduce the men into bathing with them and then take Pete for interrogation. This scene shows the amount of power women have today unlike thousands of years ago.
ReplyDeleteOverall, the movie was again very funny and well casted but the ending was rather poor. I don't believe they explained how the flood came or where the villains went. However, after heavily analyzing the Odyssey, watching a comical remake made the movie even better especially when Everett attempted to use advanced language to show off his wit and intelligence similar to Odysseus. All in all, I could watch this movie countless times and never get tired of the plot and characters.
One of the three major adaptations were: How Odysseus killed the Cyclopes, the fundamentals of the underworld, and going to jail was parallel to going to war. In the Odyssey, Odysseus killed the Cyclopes by intoxicating him and blinding his only eye. In contrast, Everett cut down the fire cross, which fell and crushed the Cyclopes. In the underworld was composed of a KKK type ceremony. They were dressed and conducted themselves like so. In the book, the spirits approached Odysseus who lured them in with a pool of blood. A major difference was Odysseus received life-altering information from the spirits in the underworld. When Everett “visited the underworld”, he didn’t receive any information or had any encounters from his past. What made the story be able to follow the hero’s quest was Everett being away from his family in jail.
ReplyDeleteHis call to adventure was when he found out his wife was getting re-married while he was away. Everett and his two jail buddies passed the threshold when they escaped in search of the untold treasure. Although, as the movie soon enfolds was there wasn’t any treasure. The mentor was the man who worked the handcart. He was a parallel to the blind prophet who reflected homer. The abysses occurred when they theoretically visited the underworld. At the end of the movie before the flood, Everett atones. He prays to his god saying he has been away for so long, all he wants to do is see his daughters again, and wants a second chance.
The first adaptation from the Odyssey to the movie that I noticed was Everett's obsession with hair product. This is like the same way that Odysseus is self-obsessed. Everett always is worried about his hair because he is so proud of it, just like Odysseus is so proud of himself. The second adaptation that I noticed is that when Everett finally escapes from jail. This is similar to when Odysseus finally leaves the Trojan War because in both events, they are both very stressed and it is terrible being in both war and jail. The third adaptation I noticed was the fact that the Soggy Bottom Boys keep running into more and more trouble, just like Odysseus and his crew. This is an important thing to notice since it is what creates the long journey that both the movie, and the book told. I thought this movie was extremely entertaining and I really enjoyed it. It was fun seeing the similarities between the movie and the book. I thought that the things that were similar to the Odyssey in the movie, were filmed very well and were very funny. This movie was very catchy and I just kept wanting to watch it.
ReplyDeleteOne of the adaption in the movie I notice was the girls who was the girls who were singing on the banks of a river; they represented sirens. I thought it was interesting how the girls were incorporated into the movie. Also when Nelson robbed the bank and some some woman called him baby-faced Nelson and he freaked out. I related it to the Odyssey because kleos is a big deal; Nelson was worried about his kleos and wanted to be the most-wanted criminal. Baby-faced Nelson is also an epithet. A dialogue from the movie was "never trust a female" which also shows up in the Odyssey when Odysseus goes to the Underworld and Agamemnon tells Odysseus not to trust Penelope. I think the movie is very similar to the book in some obvious ways. For example, bards were really implied in the movie, names and major events in the Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteThe first adaptation that I realized was that fact that Everett was self observed about his hair. In the movie the director and actor did very well to over exaggerate the fact of Everett's vanity. In the book The Odyssey Odysseus found his hair Kleos very important. His kleos is what got him into trouble. Same with Everett. The police officer who portrays the character Poseidon from the Odyssey managed to follow close to their tracks because of the sent of Everett's hair gel. That was another adaptation, having the police officer play poseidon. He was the angry "god". And lastly one of the most obvious adaptations were the singing ladies. They were seductive not only by the body, but also their breath taking voices. The three ladies represent the Sirens that would hypnotize the sailors in The Odyssey, leading them to their deaths. The Soggy Bottoms Boys kept on coming upon problems that hindered their journey to their destination. Also the Song that they published got around the city, which I think lays parallel to the idea of Odysseus coming upon different islands telling his name and information allowing the people to know who he is. The song spreads like the name of Odysseus.
ReplyDeleteOn of the adaptations seen in "O Brother Where Art Though" that comes from the Odyssey is the obstacle of the prevents Ulysses from getting home. The obstacle is the sheriff, who is relatable to Poseidon because he is followed by storms, and tries to put Ulysses back into prison. This is a good adaptation because it shows who is trying to hold back the journey home which is important to the story in the sense of conflict. Another adaptation seen in the film is hubris which plays an important role in the destruction of Odysseus and in this case Ulysses. Hubris is what starts the descending of the main characters into failure. The last adaptation is the use of bards or oracles. In the opening scene, the first person they, Pete, Delmar and Ulysses, meet is a blind train conductor who tells them how their journey will proceed. I believe this movie was a great adaptation due to the slight change in audience and tone. Literatures blended into comedies are a good combination for younger audiences, or at least people like myself. Some extra information is that I have listened to the song "Man of Constant Sorrow" about 5 or 6 times. I love that song.
ReplyDeleteO Brother, Where Art Thou is a classic. It also is a close knit replica of Homer's Odyssey. There were a couple of adaptations to the movie though. One adaptation was that the main character's name was Ulysses. Ulysses is Odysseus' name in Latin. Another one is when the Soggy Bottom Boys hear the women in the water's voices and rush into the river. Then the women drunken up all of they. This is equivalent to when the sirens use their song to lure in weak men and then give them the lotus flower. Lastly, the KKK meeting is an adaptation. It is like how Odysseus went to the underworld. It was a weird unknown place for both of the characters. I choose these examples because they were the first moments that came to my head when I thought of adaptations.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the movie was very funny and very clever. I also thought that it was a parallel to the Odyssey, but incorporated names from the Odyssey very well. I liked at the end how Ulysses prayed and then the water came through and washed up everything. But then afterwards, he played it off like it was no big deal, and he still was the educated modern man that he wants to be. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
1. Big Dan- Big Dan resembles Polyphemus mainly because he has an eyepatch, which resembles one eye, and he is, in fact, a giant.
ReplyDelete2. 3 Ladies by River- The three ladies resemble the sirens of the Odyssey that lure in sailors to be captured and held at the island forever.
3. KKK Scene- The KKK scene represents the underworld. Mr. Stokes can be viewed as Hades, and Delmar, Pete, and Big Dan being hit by the burning cross represents the blinding of Polyphemus.
O Brother, Where Art Thou is an excellent movie that contains a perfect balance between Odyssey references and individual script. Some of the most notable adaptations to the Odyssey I found within the movie were references between Big Dan to Polyphemus, the women's lure compared to that of a siren, and the similarity in names between corresponding characters. Personally, I though the excerpt of Big Man T deceiving Ulysses Everett Miguel though the promise of money was an interesting scene with entertainment and historical value. Big Man T acted as the giant within the Odyssey, as the man was physically large, contained promising information (similar to Polyphemus's promising supply of food), and had only one working eye. In addition, Big Man T was later brought down by the movie's main character Ulysses Miguel in the Ku Klux Klan scene, similar to Odysseus bringing down Polyphemus in the Odyssey. A second obvious adaptation from the Odyssey I found was within the scene where seductive women acted as sirens, as the lust for women from the three main character, all of whom sex deprived from jail, was nearly undeniable. Comparatively, the attraction of the women can be related to the attraction to sirens from their beautiful singing. A final direct adaptation from the Odyssey is seen in respects to character names. Ulysses and Penne, the married couple within the movie can be related to Odyssey and Penelope, as Ulysses is Latin for Odysseus and Penne is similar to Penelope. In addition, the governor within the movie is called governor Menelaus, similar to King Menelaus in the Odysseus, as both men contain political power. A final comparison within names is seen when Ulysses’s kids call their stepfather a suitor, directly related to the suitors wishing to marry Penelope in the Odyssey. In all, O Brother, Where Art Thou is an excellent film with a peerless balance between humor drama and adaptations and individual creation, ultimately creating a fantastic film that is a pleasure to watch.
ReplyDelete"Oh Brother Where Art Thou" is an clever adaptation of the Odyssey. Almost every single aspect of the story can in some way shape or form be traced back to the Odyssey. For example, we see the connection when looking at the main character Ulysses(Odysseus in Latin), like Odysseus, Ulysses is cunning and prideful. The seductive Sirens appear in both stories as well. The sirens use there voices to seduce men and trick them in some way in both the Odyssey and "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". Another adaptation is the character Big Dan who represents Polythemus. Big Dan is the perfect representation of Polythemus as he is big, ignorant, and easily out witted, he prefers brute force to a cunning solution. Overall I really enjoyed this movie. I loved the subtle ways the Odyssey was portrayed throughout the film (i.e. "Homer Stokes", "Governor Menelaus", " Ulysses(Odysseus in latin)"). I also enjoyed the light and humorous tone of the movie. I think George Clooney did a great job with his character and really represented cunning and crafty Odysseus well.
ReplyDeleteThe movie, O Brother, Where art thou? was a great adaptation of The Odyssey. One adaptation I found particularly interesting was the blind prophet standing in for Tiresias. I liked how not only everything he predicted happened, but how the movie started off with his prediction so the audience was prepared for what was to come. He says, like Odysseus, he is "no man" and has "no name". But, Odysseus says this in order to escape death. Also, I like how Everett's wife is named Penny for Penelope. Her fiancé, Vernon, stands in for Penelope's suitors. The only difference is that Penny gives in and agrees to marry him, whereas in The Odyssey, Penelope holds out for the twenty years Odysseus is gone. Lastly, the large man one-eyed man who tricks Odysseus and harms his friends represents Polyphemus. Both of them harm Odysseus's men, but Odysseus emerges from Polyphemus's cave unharmed while Everett is stripped of all his money. All three of these adaptations have similarities and differences from the book and are recognizable by the audience. In my opinion, this movie did a phenomenal job of adapting The Odyssey into a current, relatable, and comic story. I really enjoyed making all the connections between the book and movie. I liked how the movie was neither too similar or different from the book. Each character had depth to their personality and the plot was well developed.
ReplyDeleteO Brother, Where art Thou was fantastic adaptation of the Odyssey. To begin, the alluring sirens appear in both stories. In the movie, it is clever adaptation because it shows the mystery and eeriness of the sirens trying to seduce the men. Next, the representation of Odysseus is clever, because Ulysses (which is Odysseus in Latin) tries to be a fantastic leader, by using his valor, however he ends up making many mistakes along the way. Also, Odysseus' kleos is represented through Ulysses' vanity. Lastly, Poseidon is symbolized through the cops. They mess up the men's path many times through out the movie, just as Poseidon obstructs Odysseus' path through out the book.
ReplyDeleteSome of the things that were in the movie that were also in the Odyssey was the old man in the beginning. Like Tierces in the Odyssey the old man was like a prophet for Ulysses. And like in the Odyssey, Odysseus did not listen to hime neither did Ulysses in the movie. Another thing that I noticed was like in the Odyssey Odysseus stole things from people. The same thing happen in the movie, Ulysses stole from one of his friends kin. In the Odyssey Odysseus ran into the Sirens and got stuck there because of the lotus flower. In the movie there were women washing clothes and one of them got Ulysses drunk. From the beginning of the scene you knew that something was going to go wrong, and when it did Ulysses and his friend woke up with their other friend missing. Turns out the women turned there friend into the cops. I thought the movie was pretty good. They did a really thorough job slipping in parts that appeared in the Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteThe three apparent adaptations of The Odyssey that I saw in the movie is the man of sorrow song, Big Dan and the seductive sirens. The connection I made with the man of sorrow song and the book is that the songs mass popularity represents Odysseus's reputation. It saves Odysseus by letting him always having a warm welcome and passage and it saves the three guys buy having the govenor ignore their bounty. The connection I made with Big Dan and the book was how both him and polythemus both had one eye and I also reconized how the code of Xenia was manipulated by both of them to their advantage.
ReplyDeleteThe three women in the river and the sirens both played off the desires of man for personal gain. I personally enjoyed the movie and would totally recommend it to any one else, the movies soundtrack was astonishing in that it included songs from the time of the movies setting that appealed to todays modern audiences.
This adaptation was done with great skill, representing all of the main themes in the odyssey, while still keeping it interesting. Its adaptations were obvious but not too obvious and were cleverly disguised. However the siren may not have been as well disguised but represented the tone for the Sirens almost perfectly. The three women in the river were creepy and eerie. These beautiful creatures of the mind easily seduced the men, who had been long away from a woman. They lured one of the men into their trap, eventually turning him in for bounty. They lured the men in just like the sirens called to Odysseus and the lotus people subdued the crew. Later on when the men were wrestling through the forest, they stumbled upon the KKK performing a ritual. The fire and fear made it look like Hell or the Underworld and the leader rose up, towering over his subjects just like Hades. The protagonist and his sidekicks were numb with fear but were forced to face to save their good friend from an imminent death. They had to venture into the world of death, as Odysseus did in order to complete his mission.
ReplyDeleteThe director did a great job of portraying the Odyssey while still keeping parts of his storyline and plot unique. He made the connections obvious enough for the audience to understand and still kept it interesting, comedic, and intense. These three examples were the most important to me partly because I missed the first day of watching the movie and missed many connections, and also because they had the most emotion in them and both did scare and captivate me, pulling me more and more into the movie.