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Scores of history's greatest stories came out of ancient Greece. From the classic plays of Sophocles and Euripides, to the countless legends of Greek mythology, that ancient civilization on the Mediterranean gave the world stories so entertaining, and filled with so much meaning, that they continue to be told today.
Since the golden age of cinema, filmmakers have taken cues from old Greek legends. Sometimes they faithfully recount the stories told so long ago, other times they put ancient stories into new, modern settings. Sometimes the influence is so subtle you might not even notice, but filmmakers have made quite a habit out of paying homage to the great stories of ancient Greece.
Curious? Read on to see which of your favorite movies were inspired by old Greek legends.
One of the most beloved productions of the unstoppable Coen brothers, 2000's 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' follows three escaped convicts, led by Ulysses McGill (George Clooney) through the Deep South of 1930's America.
As hinted by the name of Clooney's character, 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' follows Homer's epic poem 'The Odyssey'. In both stories, Ulysses goes on a grand journey of trials and tribulations trying to find his way home.
Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos' eerie and unnerving thriller from 2017 follows the story of Steven (Colin Farrell), a heart surgeon with a checkered past, who must make the impossible choice of which of his family members to kill to save the others from dying.
Lanthimos was inspired by an equally disturbing Greek tragedy: 'Iphigenia,' by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. In 'Iphigenia,' the protagonist, the ancient king and Greek general Agamemnon, kills one of the goddess Artemis' sacred deer, and is told that if he doesn't sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, as repentance, then he and his army will be doomed in their fight against Troy. In both stories, an impossible decision between order and family must be made.
One of Julia Roberts' most iconic roles, 'Pretty Woman' (1990) follows the story of Vivian, a lady of the night, and her relationship with millionaire Edward, who quickly falls for her.
'Pretty Woman' draws many parallels to the ancient Greek myth of Pygmalion, a sculptor of immense talent who, according to legend, created a sculpture so beautiful he fell in love with it.
'Hercules' is one of Disney's most beloved animated features. With a sassy Hades and a charming Hercules, this playful rendition of the tale of the 12 trials of Hercules left audiences delighted.
Of course, being a children's movie, many of the darker parts of the legend of Hercules were left out of Disney's rendition. For instance, Hercules' murder of his own wife and children was quickly dropped from the script.
The film that started one of the most successful franchises of all time, 'Star Wars: A New Hope' (1977) is one of many movies that follows the plot structure laid out by Homer in 'The Odyssey.'
Today, this plot format is known as the Hero's Journey, and 'Star Wars' follows it perfectly. Both Luke and Ulysses go on grand adventures to find their rightful place in the world (or galaxy), completing a series of trials to prove their worth to both themselves and others.
Iconic American filmmaker Spike Lee's 2015 musical epic, 'Chi-Raq,' is a bold and powerful statement against the rampant gun violence that occurs on the streets of Chicago's Southside neighborhoods.
Despite its modern setting and topic of concern, the plot devices in 'Chi-Raq' are taken directly from the classic Greek play 'Listrata.' In both stories, the women of Greece/Chicago make a pact to not enter the beds of their husbands until they agree to call an end to the senseless violence that surrounds them; in Greece, the Peloponnesian War, in Chicago, gang violence in general.
The iconic agitator of 20th-century Italian cinema, Pier Pasolini often used plot devices and motifs from ancient sources. In 1969, he released his direct adaptation of 'Medea,' a Greek play by Euripides.
Both versions of the ancient myth are grisly tales of murder, and madness, revolving around the titular character, Medea, who finds out her husband, Jason, has been unfaithful with another woman. Medea's plot for revenge turns murderous and quickly spirals out of control.
The second film in pioneering French director Jean Cocteau's Orphic Trilogy, 1950's 'Orpheus' follows a poet on a journey of obsession that leads him to the underworld and back again, emerging as an "immortal poet" after suffering a number of tragedies.
Although Cocteau's version is set in 20th-century France, it follows the original myth of Orpheus very closely, and even uses the same names. The most iconic moment of the myth, in which Orpheus loses his wife Eurydice a second time by looking at her on their trip back to the world of the living, is present in both versions of the story.
A movie that shook the international film world and is still considered one of the most provocative of the early 2000s, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook's 'Oldboy' (2003) follows the story of Oh Dae-Su. Free after 15 years of being inexplicably imprisoned, Dae-Su searches for the person responsible for his suffering, and falls in love with a young woman who insists on helping him along the way.
In a mirrored version of Sophocles' tragedy 'Oedipus Rex,' Oh Dae-Su learns that the girl he has fallen for isn't who he thought she was, and the knowledge is too great for him to bear.
Wolfgang Petersen's 'Troy' tells the story of the Trojan War between the ancient nations of Troy and Sparta, with big stars like Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom portraying legendary figures like Achilles and King Agamemnon.
While artistic license was used liberally, the story of the 2004 film does follow the events of the Trojan War as told by the ancient Greeks, and, of course, features the iconic Trojan Horse.
Zack Snyder's 2007 hit '300' borrows from a number of sources, reliable and otherwise, to create a less-than-accurate picture of ancient Greece.
The plot loosely follows the legend of the Spartan King Leonidas, who heads into battle against the Persian King Xerxes with only 300 Spartan warriors against the 300,000 warriors of Xerxes.
A classic movie filmed in Brazil, 'Black Orpheus' (1959) retells the story of the poet Orpheus, set against the backdrop of the Brazilian Carnival. Samba and bossa nova take the place of harp music in this version of the story.
Similar to the Greek myth, Orpheus and his lover are chased through the streets of Rio de Janeiro by a hitman dressed as Death.
Mario Camerini's 1954 rendition of 'The Odyssey,' titled 'Ulysses,' is a faithful adaptation of Homer's epic poem, with Kirk Douglas starring as Ulysses and Silvana Mangano as Penelope.
The film follows the most essential of the tales of Ulysses and Penelope, including Penelope's many suitors and Ulysses' fight against Polyphemus the cyclops.
A massively successful blockbuster from 1981, 'Clash of the Titans,' directed by Desmond Davis, is an exciting epic based on the myths of Perseus, one of the many sons of Zeus.
Perseus, like so many other Greek mythological heroes, is tasked with completing a number of challenges in order to get what he wants: in this case, to marry Princess Andromeda. The tale of Perseus includes some of the most recognizable icons in Greek lore, including Medusa, Pegasus, and the formidable Kraken.
Sources: (Reader's Digest) (Greek Reporter) (Collider)
Fantastic films you didn't know are based on ancient Greek legends
Timeless tales refreshed for the big screen
MOVIES Mythology
Scores of history's greatest stories came out of ancient Greece. From the classic plays of Sophocles and Euripides, to the countless legends of Greek mythology, that ancient civilization on the Mediterranean gave the world stories so entertaining, and filled with so much meaning, that they continue to be told today.
Since the golden age of cinema, filmmakers have taken cues from old Greek legends. Sometimes they faithfully recount the stories told so long ago, other times they put ancient stories into new, modern settings. Sometimes the influence is so subtle you might not even notice, but filmmakers have made quite a habit out of paying homage to the great stories of ancient Greece.
Curious? Read on to see which of your favorite movies were inspired by old Greek legends.