I can’t sleep. I really can’t sleep. I just watched the movie CLASH OF THE TITANS and my body is filled with adrenalin.
Synopsis: King Acrisius’ wants to rid himself of Perseus, and so he sends him on a quest. He must slay the gorgon Medusa, whom he thought would kill Perseus. However, not only did he manage to kill the Medusa, he also rescued the princess, Andromeda. In this story are three old witches who share an eye between them, a horse that can fly, and a monster called the Kraken who is raised by Zeus to destroy mankind. Interesting stuff…right?
There is something wrong with me. I come to the computer to muse. I can’t help to think the world is filled with signs that read:
ADVENTURERS WANTED
Thousand of years ago there were three warriors around a fire, getting rained on, watching their breath curl in wisps in front of their lips.
Lighting struck in the distance. A distant rolling thunder swept across the sky, and each thought the gods were now in the heavens creating mischief.
The old man in their group told the story of Perseus and his battle with the Gods and the flying horse Pegasus. For a moment, it was less cold on that field and in that rain. In the dark clouds above it was easy to imagine a flying horse with a warrior on its back.
“What is that?” the youngest shouted to the others.
He pointed to a field where it looked like a door opened and shut.
In my imagination that is when I came out of the theater.
I had just seen Clash of the Titans in 3-D. Somehow it made me nostalgic. I had seen the original back in 1981, and I still remembered a lot about the film, including one particular mechanical owl. The movie…opened not too long after Star Wars, and what better marketing ploy to add a mechanical owl that strangely made hooting and clicking noise not too much different that this future side-kick cousin ARTOO DETOO.
That owl made a reappearance in this movie. Pulled out an old case by the hero Perseus, he stares at it and says: “What’s this?”
The older warrior says: “Leave it.”
This was a small tip of the hat to the original movie and may have been saying we are blazing our own telling of the myth.
I can’t say it was the best movie in the world, but something held me in my seat from beginning to end. I kept on seeing things familiar, that have been told and retold…the stuff of adventure and legend.
Synopsis: A young farmer is told that he is related to a great Jedi Warror. When his family dies (kind of like the family of that Perseus guy) he takes up a quest to save a beautiful princess. (Hmmm.) Along the way he meets monsters and fights evil villians (Darth Vader). OOOHHH so familar…is it not?
In the movie Perseus is a demigod that denies his heritage. His mother made love to a god.
In another movie a young man hears these words: “Luke, I am your Father.”
In this movie Perseus is presented with a magical sword.
In another movie a young man wields a light saber.
In this movie an unstoppable monster called ‘the Kraken’ is about to destroy a city.
In another movie the battle star is just about to fire on the rebel base.
In this movie Perseus rides a flying horse.
In another movie the hero flying his star fighter must trust the force and fires the shot to destroy the battle star.
I could take this further. By the way where do you think Shakespeare got his three witches to tell Macbeth the future?
“Boil, boil, toil and trouble…”
The three witches showed up first in Greek legend.
It wasn’t until I was leaving the film that the trailers before the show struck me as being suspiciosuly similar to the tale I had just witnessed. The trailers to the movies The Expendables and the movie The A Team seemed perfect for the movie that was the main feature. Both films were about a group of men that join together for a common cause to defeat a threat, is not too different than the tale of Perseus and his adventurers that travel into Hades to defeat the Medusa, and destroy the Kraken. Always each character is unique, each man a story unto himself, a story told and retold. The warriors have the wise one, the handsome one irresistible to women, the one with a special skill with a weapon, the funny one, which each meets a glorious death, or survives depending on the script or the need to have another episode next week.
This story is told and retold.
Do you think Star Wars was new? NO WAY. The story is as old as Perseus himself.
Our modern adventures are made up from the tales of myth, told and retold down from the ages. What I am writing should not be news to you. There are many books written on the subject of myth, and Lucas tied into the power of myth, which just happens to the be title of a Bill Moyers interview with Joseph Campbell. The book ‘The Hero of a Thousand faces is Campbell’s work that inspired Lucas. Some say Lucas revitalized Campbell’s ideas for a new generation. The question is…are we all hard wired to the idea of – Hero…Mentor…Quest? Is this Jung? Every culture understands this, sings this in their tales. I am not the first to write of this: The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers is a good resource.
We are all affected by myth, by a promise of adventure. In 1982 I joined the Army. I wanted something more out of life, I remember a conversation I had with a friend. We had just finished watching some adventure movies at his house and I mentioned that I wanted to join the Army.
“Why in the world would you want to do that?”
I answered back: ”"Because I want to do more in this world than just watch life in the movies.”
“Oh…” He said before getting in the car. At the time he worked in the comic book business (a medium with their own ‘hero…mentor…quest’ — like tales.
Campbell: “This first stage of the mythological journey – which we have designated the ‘call to adventure’ – signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown. This fateful region of both treasure and danger may be variously represented: as a distant land, a forest, a kingdom underground, beneath the waves, or above the sky, a secret island, lofty mountaintop, or profound dream state; but it is always a place of strangely fluid and polymorphous beings, unimaginable torments, superhuman deeds, and impossible delight”
On my own…I had my adventures…and saw things that I would not have seen if I had stayed where I was. Was it equal to Perseus or Luke Skywalker? No…but there are those serving today that could possibly equal it, and I shall leave it to them to tell their children and their friends around their own campfire.
I lived my own adventure by joining the Army, and thus acted as my own hero. I was inspired to seek that “zone unknown” by myth. In addition, like those warriors around the campfire, I listened to the tales of my own Father of his adventures during World War II.
I did not ride a Pegasus, but I have ridden a Chinook with the doors open at tree top level.
I did not wield a light saber, but I have wielded tracers across the night horizon.
And I did not challenge the Gods like Perseus, but there were times I had to make hard choices that challenged the fates.
My friend in the comic book business would have understood.
Has anyone seen the new movie Agora with Rachel Weisz? If you have please call our Ancient Rome Refocused Hotline and give us a review. If you do I’ll put you on the next podcast. I need someone who can sum up the show, in 4 minutes and 30 seconds. That is all the time you have on the message machine. If you need more time call back and I’ll splice the recordings together.
Rob Cain has traveled extensively through Europe, Italy, and Egypt. He was formerly on active duty with the United States Army. He is a fan of history, and enjoys reading books on the history of Rome. He currently has a podcast presentation on itunes and hipcast. The blog is for the free and open discussion of Ancient Rome based on Mr. Cain's observations noted in his podcast. Most episodes start out with an original dramatic narration written by Mr. Cain. In the podcasts he will include his own unique commentary, and interviews with subject matter experts. Comments are welcome and will be highlighted on the show. 
