Cinema and Classical Texts: Apollo's New Light PDF
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This page intentionally left blank CINEMA AND CLASSICAL TEXTS Apollowastheancientgodoflightandthedivinepatronofthearts. He is therefore a fitting metaphor for cinematography, which is the modernartofwritingwithmovinglight.Thisbookinterpretsfilmsas visualtextsandprovidesthefirstsystematictheoreticalandpractical demonstrationoftheaffinitiesbetweenGreco-Romanliteratureand thecinema.Itexaminesmajorthemesfromclassicalmythandhistory suchasfilmportrayalsofgods,exemplifiedbyApolloandtheMuses; Oedipus,antiquity’smostinfluentialmythic-tragichero;thequestion ofheroismandpatriotisminwar;andtherepresentationofwomen like Helen of Troy and Cleopatra as products of male desire and fantasy.CoveringawiderangeofEuropeanandAmericandirectors andgenresandofclassicalauthors,thisstudyprovidesaninnovative perspectiveonthetwodisciplinesofclassicsandcinemaanddemon- stratesourmostinfluentialmedium’sunlimitedrangewhenitadapts ancienttexts. martin m. winkler is Professor of Classics at George Mason University. CINEMA AND CLASSICAL TEXTS Apollo’s New Light MARTIN M. WINKLER CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521518604 © Martin M. Winkler 2009 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2009 ISBN-13 978-0-511-48084-3 eBook (NetLibrary) ISBN-13 978-0-521-51860-4 hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Contents Listofillustrations pagevii Acknowledgments x Introduction:Thegodoflightandthecinemaeye Acertaintendencyinclassicalphilology Filmsasvisualtexts Authorship:Ancientauctorandcinematicauteur Thecinemaofpoetry Philologiaclassicaetcinematographica:FromClassicalphilologyto filmphilology Divineepiphanies:ApolloandtheMuses Godoflight,godofcinema Apolloandoracles Apollo’slastfrontier TheMuse’sinspiration Terpsichore’sepiphany Downtoearthagain ThereturnofApollo ThecomplexitiesofOedipus FrommythtoFreud Epic Tragedy Comedy Patriotismandwar:“Sweetandfittingitistodiefor one’scountry” Homer,Horace,andtheheroictradition ChivalryandclassicalcultureinWorldWarI SimonidesintheGreatWarandinVietnam Homer,Thucydides,andHoraceinWorldWarII Whatpriceglory? v vi Contents HelenofTroy:MarriageandadulteryaccordingtoHollywood GreekmythAmericanized WolfgangPetersen’sTroyandRobertWise’sHelenofTroy JohnKentHarrison’sHelenofTroy InnocentHelen:PalinodesfromStesichorustoHollywood Womeninlove Frominnocencetoexperience:ChloeinPleasantville Seductionbyluxury:Cleopatraandherroyalbarge PrincessDeath Epilogue:“Brightshinesthelight” Bibliography Index Illustrations TheManwiththeMovieCamera.DzigaVertov’s CinemaEye,thefilm’sfinalimage. page OedipusRex.TheDelphicOracleintheAfricandesert inPasolini’scinemaofpoetry. TheMagus.ThearchaicsmileonthefaceofApollo. StarTrek:“WhomournsforAdonais?”Apollohurling lightning. DowntoEarth.“SwingingtheMuses”andthewrong Terpsichore. DowntoEarth.TheheavenlyMusesaghastat Terpsichore’snewsabouttheAmericanMuses’song. DowntoEarth.Terpsichoreinherownproductionof theGreekballet. DowntoEarth.Terpsichoreandherproducer discussingGreekmythbackstage. MødmigpaaCassiopeia.Polyhymniacomedowntoearth. Troy.Achillesandthestatueoffar-shootingApollo beforehistempleoutsidethewallsofTroy. TheColossusofRhodes.Theheadofthetitularstatue, withApollo’sarchaicsmile. OedipusRex.Oedipus(inwhiterobe,ctr.)askingofan archaic-mythicThebes. OedipusRex.OedipusatthecrossroadsafterkillingLaius. OedipusRex.Guthrie’smaskedactors:Oedipusandthechorus. TheBandWagon.Theauthoroftheplayrunningon Broadwayisconspicuousbyhisabsence. vii viii Listofillustrations HistoryoftheWorld,PartI.OedipusinRome. AllQuietontheWesternFront.Theclassicalquotations ontheblackboard:firstversion. AllQuietontheWesternFront.Theclassicalquotations ontheblackboard:secondversion. AllQuietontheWesternFront.Theerasureofeducation andcivilization. AllQuietontheWesternFront.Thefinalimage:the deadlookingattheliving. GrandIllusion.MonsieurPindare(l.)gettingreadyforwork. GrandIllusion.RauffensteinandthegreatestGreekpoet. GoTelltheSpartans.Simonides’epitaphinVietnam. Patton.PattonandtheruinsofCarthage,filmedat VolubilisinMorocco.TheArchofCaracallaisinthe background. Patton.Thegeneralinthefilm’sopeningscene. Troy.HelenandParisinSparta. HelenofTroy().Paris’firstviewofHelen. HelenofTroy().Thedysfunctionalmarriageof HelenandMenelaus. HelenofTroy().TyndareusblamesHelenbefore theGreekkings. HelenofTroy().Helenondisplay. Pleasantville.Thediscoveryoftheeroticnatureofthe body,herestillinblackandwhite,leadstoknowledge andself-awareness. Pleasantville.ThelocusamoenusinPleasantville. Cleopatra().CleopatraandAntonyonherbarge. Cleopatra().TheimmensestudiosetofCleopatra’sbarge. Cleopatra().Queenandseductress:themost ravishingsingleimageinDeMille’sfilm. Cleopatra().Cleopatraandherbathtubtoy. Cleopatra().Therealthing:Cleopatra’ssea-goingbarge. Orph´ee.ThePrincess,herfacelikeadeathmask.
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