Across the history of film, the art of adaptation became a common one, taking after books and epics going back to ancient times. One of the most extraordinary forms of stories adapted often were the great stories of Greek mythological heroes and their gods. Here’s just a small sample of some of Hollywood’s most epic adaptations.
Troy (2004)
Troy, directed by Wolfgang Peterson, is an action-adventure film focusing on the mythological Trojan War. It stars actors Diane Kruger, Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, and Brendan Gleeson. Set roughly 3200 years ago, the events of the film are loosely based upon Homer’s epic poem The Iliad. The Greek hero Agamemnon, king of the Greek kingdom of Mycenae, has united the Greek kingdoms against Troy after his brother’s wife, Helen of Troy, is kidnapped by a Trojan Prince named Paris. Agamemnon’s brother Menelaus, the king of Sparta, seeks to make peace with Troy until Helen is kidnapped. The legendary hero Achilles begrudgingly fights on the side of Agamemnon, not liking his rule.
Fighting alongside Achilles and Agamemnon are other Greek kings and heroes like Odysseus, Ajax, and Achilles’ cousin Patroclus. While Patroclus was in the original story of The Iliad, where he plays an equally vital role as he does in the film, it should be noted that he was represented as Achilles’ best friend rather than cousin. Their close relationship in the original story has led some interpretations of the story to read Achilles and Patroclus as lovers, though Troy obviously treats it as familial love. The film also explores slightly beyond the timeframe of The Iliad, mainly towards the end of the film where the Trojan Horse and the actual sack of Troy are displayed. The Iliad actually ends before the war itself comes to a close, with the sack of Troy and the Trojan Horse mainly being shown in the Latin epic The Aeneid. Additionally, the Odyssey makes some reference to the Trojan Horse, as Odysseus himself was credited to coming up with the idea.
Brian Cox plays Agamemnon, Brendan Gleeson plays Menelaus, Brad Pitt plays Achilles, Diane Kruger plays Helen of Troy, and Orlando Bloom plays Paris, the younger Prince of Troy. Eric Bana plays Hector, the older Prince of Troy, Sean Bean plays Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and Garrett Hedlund plays the role of Patroclus, cousin of Achilles.
The film has two cuts: a theatrical cut that’s roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes and a director’s cut that is roughly 3 hours and 15 minutes. For this article, the director’s cut was discussed and broken down. The film can be streamed on Amazon Prime or rented on YouTube Movies.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?, was written and directed by the Coen Brothers Joel and Ethan, is a comedy drama musical loosely inspired by Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. The film stars actors George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson. George Clooney plays Ulysses Everett McGill, John Turturro plays Pete, and Time Blake Nelson plays Delmar O’Donnel. Set in 1930s Mississippi, the trio escape from imprisonment together, seeking a treasure of 1.2 million dollars. Ulysses Everett stands in as a parallel to the mythological hero Odysseus, being a trickster who is smarter than almost everyone around him. Pete and Delmar are stand-ins for Odysseus’ soldiers in the story, accompanying him along the journey whilst also getting him into trouble. Along their quest to find treasure, they meet various oddball personalities, such as Stephen Root playing the character of Mr. Lund and John Goodman playing the character of “Big Dan” Teague. Mr. Lund is a blind radio station host, serving as a stand-in for the poet Homer, while “Big Dan” Teague is a one-eyed businessman, standing in for the blind Cyclops Polyphemus. Other obstacles the trio encounter include a constant manhunt of police officers and a trio of women who seduce Pete meant to be stand-ins for the mythological sirens.
Ultimately, the film stands as a satirical take on the classic Greek epic that combines it with commentary on the American South and a general exploration of the themes of Americana. The music throughout adds a strong folk-country feeling to the whole thing, enhancing the blur of genres.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? can be streamed on Hulu or rented on YouTube Movies.
Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
Jason and the Argonauts, directed by Don Chaffey, is an adaptation of the story of the great Greek hero, Jason. The film is more specifically inspired by the 3rd century BC Greek epic The Argonautica, written by the writer Apollonius Rhodius. The film stars actors Todd Armstrong as the titular hero Jason, Nancy Kovack as the high priestess Medea, Nigel Green as Hercules, and Gary Raymond as Acastus. Additionally, actors Niall MacGinnis and Honor Blackman play the gods Zeus and Hera respectively, who are briefly visited on Olympus at various points throughout the story as they provide commentary on Jason’s adventures.
Jason was the last surviving prince of Thessaly, a Greek kingdom overtaken by the traitorous Pelias, who killed Jason’s parents and siblings and took the throne for himself. Once Jason reaches the age of twenty and confronts Pelias, Pelias sends Jason on a quest for the legendary Golden Fleece, said to be in the land of Colchis at the end of the world. To journey there, Jason holds an Olympic tournament to gather Greece’s greatest heroes, all while having the carpenter Argus construct their ship for the journey. Once together, they call themselves the Argonauts, sailing on a ship called the Argo, fittingly named after its builder Argus. Among the Argonauts are the great demigod Hercules and Acastus, the son of Pelias, who seeks to sabotage the journey under his father’s wishes. Along their journey, the crew of the Argo encounter deadly monsters, crushing cliffs, and spiteful gods. The various monsters encountered along the quest are done via stop motion animation, including the iconic skeletons fought at the end of the film.
Jason and the Argonauts can be streamed for free on Tubi.
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