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Reading Homer: Film and Text
These nine new essays on Homer's epics deal not only with major Homeric themes of time (honor), kleos (fame), geras (rewards), the psychology of Homeric warriors, and the re-evaluation of type scenes, but also with Homer's influence on contemporary film. Following the introduction and an essay which sets the historical background for the epics, four essays are devoted to fresh analysis of key passages and themes while another four turn to a discussion of the film Troy and Homer's influence on two other genres of American cinema.
258 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2009
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December 28, 2012
I am unwillingly impressed. This book has actually made me reconsider my opinion of the Petersen film Troy.
Shawn Ross's essay on Homer as a historical source is badly organized and unconvincing; Rick Newton's examination of the parallels between geras and xeineia is fascinating if a trifle over-ambitious; John B. Vlahos's examination of books 19 and 23 of the Odyssey makes me so happy, for its respectful treatment of Penelope, I can't even tell you (she is smarter than you are, accept that and rejoice in it, okay); Scott Richardson's essay on conversation in the Od. is decent but heavy-going; Joel Christensen's close reading of telos muthon is not for non-classicists; Jonathan S. Burgess's discussion of Troy's historicism is a lot more nuanced than I would have expected, given the topic; Charles C. Chiasson's contrasting of the heroic model in Troy and the Iliad is unexpectedly fascinating; and the last two essays on It's a Wonderful Life and The Gunfighter are on movies I haven't seen and therefore can't assess.
Shawn Ross's essay on Homer as a historical source is badly organized and unconvincing; Rick Newton's examination of the parallels between geras and xeineia is fascinating if a trifle over-ambitious; John B. Vlahos's examination of books 19 and 23 of the Odyssey makes me so happy, for its respectful treatment of Penelope, I can't even tell you (she is smarter than you are, accept that and rejoice in it, okay); Scott Richardson's essay on conversation in the Od. is decent but heavy-going; Joel Christensen's close reading of telos muthon is not for non-classicists; Jonathan S. Burgess's discussion of Troy's historicism is a lot more nuanced than I would have expected, given the topic; Charles C. Chiasson's contrasting of the heroic model in Troy and the Iliad is unexpectedly fascinating; and the last two essays on It's a Wonderful Life and The Gunfighter are on movies I haven't seen and therefore can't assess.
Displaying 1 of 1 review