Introduction
Clash of the Titans is a movie interpretation of ancient Greek myths, namely the myth of Perseus, with all the accompanying heroes, starting from Zeus and Hades, ending with Medusa. The gods decide to punish the inhabitants of the city of Argos. The fisherman Perseus – the son of Zeus, who hates his satrap father, undertakes to help people. Due to the special effects and sound design, the viewer can feel the scale and epic that should be present in such paintings. However, the myth of Perseus, taken as a basis, was significantly modified by the director to interest the viewer and add more action.
Mythological Universe Presented
The mythological universe presented in the work is based on an ancient model of Ancient Greece, as well as the heroes of Olympus. The film begins with an introductory story about the origin of the Greek gods (Leterrier, 2010). After that, the stories of Perseus’ youth are shown, while simultaneously depicting the gatherings of the gods on Olympus, to which the underground god Hades also joins. He proposes to punish earthly people for failing to offer their prayers to the gods (Leterrier, 2010). This moment is at odds with the original Greek mythology, as the gods have always been great and did not depend on human offerings (Maurizio, 2015). Perseus loved Andromeda and defended man’s place under the sun, but in the original legend, he did not try to kill the immortal lord of the underworld, Hades, out of a sense of revenge.
The film also features free interpretations of the adventures of Perseus. Perseus was the son of Zeus and killed the Gorgon Medusa and the sea monster. This is where the similarity of Perseus from the movie with Perseus from the legend ends. Acrisius was not Perseus’s mother’s husband, but rather his grandfather (Maurizio, 2015). Instead of the legend of the golden rain, the mothers of Perseus, Danae, plagiarized the story of Alcmene, who gave birth to Hercules from Zeus. In the film, Io is a heroine who rejects a divine offer, unlike in the source, where she is transformed into a cow due to becoming a hostage to the lust of Zeus and the jealousy of Hera (Leterrier, 2010). In Greek legends, Bellerophon flew on Pegasus, but the legend of Bellerophon is extremely related to the history of Perseus.
The Kraken and other characters also appear in the film, such as genies and giant scorpions, which are absent from ancient Greek mythology. The mythologies of various peoples were closely intertwined with one another. Many of the origins of Greek legends most likely lie in Phrygia, Lydia, and other Asian countries (Maurizio, 2015). This fact can explain the appearance of gins in the film. The presence of the Scandinavian kraken and the Arabian genies creates a world where several mythologies are combined, not just the Greek one.
Central Themes
The first of the central mythological themes used is the birth of a hero. The purpose of this passage is to bring the hero closer to the viewer, allowing them to identify with him. In the original Greek legends, Perseus is said to have marked the beginning of the great human race (Maurizio, 2015). However, in the film, this moment is slightly blurred to avoid creating a gap between the viewer and the hero, thereby removing the context of exclusivity and allowing the viewer to relate to the main character (Leterrier, 2010). Therefore, this element is used effectively to evoke empathy, but not effectively to convey the hero’s greatness of origin.
Another central mythological theme is Perseus’ first battle. The function of this element in the narrative is to create movement and force the development of events. As in the original legend, Perseus managed to defeat Medusa in the film, and he cut off her head (Leterrier, 2010). The battle with the Gorgon Medusa is truly spectacular and is presented effectively, both in terms of illustrating the myth and demonstrating the protagonist’s strength.
Concepts and Theoretical Approaches
Since the main purpose of the film is the exploration of morality, Clash of the Titans can also be considered from the perspective of theoretical approaches to the essence of the myth. The concept of euhemerism posits that both mythology and religion originated from the sacralization of history. Gods, spirits, and other mythological characters are merely fantastical transformations of outstanding personalities from the past, and the myths themselves are distorted historical narratives. A special kind of euhemerism is the genealogical approach, which views the myth as a reflection of human evolution (Maurizio, 2015). In this case, it reflects the film’s concept, according to which the hero has undergone significant personal growth throughout his exploits and undergone a personal transformation.
Another concept that is suitable for considering the basic elements is naturalistic theory. It offers an allegorical interpretation of the myth, according to which mythical images are identified with natural elements. Several varieties of this approach are suitable for the elements of the Perseus myth.
First of all, this is the solar theory, whose proponents sought a connection between the images of the myth and solar phenomena (Maurizio, 2015). Sunrises and sunsets, along with their seasonal variations, were considered prototypes of myths about dying and resurrecting gods. The scenes of battles with the gods of Perseus illustrate this theory by showing the death and resurrection of the gods.
By a similar principle, the lunar concept is suitable. Its followers proceeded from the fact that the change of the lunar phases forms the basis of the cyclical ideas inherent in archaic cultures. According to them, the destruction and rebirth of the world occur periodically (Maurizio, 2015). Defeating gods and monsters in his battles, Perseus illustrates this approach.
Conclusion
Thus, Clash of the Titans is a fantasy variation of one of the myths of Ancient Greece – the myth of Perseus. It contains the basic concepts characteristic of this mythology. However, at the same time, the director erases the distinction between the hero and the people to evoke more emotions and make the viewer empathize with Perseus. At the same time, the approach of interpreting ancient Greek mythology through the concepts of birth, death, and rebirth of worlds remains intact.
References
Leterrier, L. (Director). (2010). Clash of the Titans. Legendary Pictures.
Maurizio, L. (2015). Classical mythology in context. Oxford University Press.