"O Brother" and the Homeric Hero

On Friday, August 27, I will be leading a discussion on "O Brother Where Art Thou?", the second installment in a series I'm calling Holding Out For A Hero, looking at different types of heroes in modern thought and how they point to our need for true heroes. (To come to the discussion, get the info here.)

"O Brother" is adapted from the epic poem "The Odyssey", portraying the homeward journey of one of the greatest heroes in all of literature, Odysseus (or Ulysses). George Clooney's character, Ulysses Everett McGill, presents the viewer with an interesting image of the modern (or post-modern) hero, even as he is based on Homer's original.

I thought a helpful way to start our discussion would be to consider the heroic qualities of Homer's two great heroes, Achilles and Odysseus. I have asked Rachel Knudsen, friend and Classics Scholar, to write the following character sketch of each hero:

The Greek epic hero is most famously embodied by not one character but two, Achilles and Odysseus. These two men are the respective protagonists of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and represent two sides of the coin of Greek epic heroism.

Achilles is the individualist: the greatest warrior of all the Greeks, he fights almost exclusively to pile up personal glory. He is obsessed with making his name and fame immortal through his superhuman feats on the battlefield. As such, he cares less about the actual cause for fighting (re-capturing Helen from the Trojans and thus avenging the honor of the Greek king Agamemnon), and more about the war as a vehicle for his own exploits. He also cares little about his fellow Greek warriors: he's willing to let them die to make the point that he is indispensable to the Greek cause after Agamemnon disrespects him. Individual glory and honor are everything to Achilles, and this ruthless mindset, along with his utter dominance at fighting, is the essence of his brand of heroism. It also leads him to the appropriate heroic destiny: an early death on the battlefield, having achieved the glory he desired more than anything else.

Odysseus demonstrates his heroism not through fighting prowess (he's an average warrior), but through cunning, understanding of people and situations, and skillful leadership. It is Odysseus' ingenuity in coming up with the Trojan Horse tactic that allows the Greeks to win the Trojan war after 10 years of fighting. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus uses clever speeches and sometimes even deception to get what he wants (and sometimes to escape from danger) during his long journey home from Troy. He comes up with an elaborate strategy to reinstate himself as ruler of his homeland, to reintegrate himself with his family, and to defeat the rivals to his throne who greatly outnumber him; as usual, Odysseus bases this strategy on cleverness and knowledge of human nature, rather than on brute force. He also shows great care and concern for the men he is in charge of during the voyage home: he protects them, takes responsibility for them, and sometimes even suffers because of their foolishness. As a result, he is a beloved and trusted leader of men. Ultimately, these qualities of leadership and community-mindedness allow Odysseus to achieve his heroic destiny: a long and peaceful life as ruler over his homeland, with his family at his side.

How do these heroes strike you? Are we looking for heroes in the 21st century who embody these qualities?

being human in a Sci-Fi world

I came across a story in USA Today from earlier this week (via CTMovies) that looks at the recent success of Science-Fiction films and Oscar nominations for Best Picture going to Avatar and District 9. The closing quote in the article is the most profound, coming from Sigourney Weaver, as she reflects on whether either of these movies will actually win Oscars:

"With that label, 'sci-fi,' I think it'll be tough," she says. "But of course, to look at these movies with that label is to miss the points they are trying to make. These movies ask us to look at what it means to be human."

I find it interesting that a genre that might have been shunned in the past as "for the nerds" is now mainstream, but why the success now? I won't go as far as to say, "I called it", but I'm pleased that the Fall Movies @ Grace series was called "Being Human", exploring topics of humanness and authentic experience in Into the Wild, Wall-E, and The Soloist (though I had to cancel the last showing because Sarah was about to go into labor). The discussion about sci-fi after viewing Wall-E was a lot of fun, about the stark/bleak vision of the future at the start of the film and how robots demonstrated characteristics of human love and courage far more naturally than the blobular humans in the movie.

(Good/lasting) Sci-fi and Fantasy artworks typically deal with this theme, about what it means to be human. In recent years, these genres have increased in visibility and popularity. The remake of Battlestar Gallactica comes to mind as a great example. What other movies/shows/books come to mind for you? Why do you think that this has come about now, in first decade of the 21st Century?

eat this film

this summer, we've been going through a series of film discussions I've called Eat This Film. we've watched and discussed films that might be termed as "Foodies". additionally, we've served a meal that is tied closely to the film. in June, we watched Mostly Martha, and enjoyed an authentic Italian meal with spaghetti as the main dish. in July, Eat Drink Man Woman, along with a Taiwanese/Chinese meal with (almost) no takeout. in August, we'll finish the series with Sideways, which will include a lesson in wine tasting.

it's been great to discuss a subject that our part of the country cherishes with such gusto. through my scouring of IMDB and my local library, I'm seeing a trend in recent decades of filmmaking toward more films that center on chefs and eating, typically with gorgeous scenes documenting the process of food preparation.

the most recent addition to the Foodie Canon is Julie & Julia. I have not seen it yet, but I've heard positive reviews from critics and friends. it's not official yet, but I'm planning on taking an extra credit Eat This Film field trip to go see this as a group. here are two recent posts about it from the NYTimes, one by Michael Pollan, the other by Kim Severson.

*UPDATED, 8/31 - Great article from The Curator on the Art of Marriage in Julie & Julia.

during the summer, I've been blogging in my head (I seem to do this a lot) about this series. I was thinking that this very post--the one that you're reading right now--would be a brilliant compilation and commentary of all that I've come across in my research and our discussions. but someone beat me to it, and someone who is a far better writer and a far more experienced film journalist than I ever will be. check out Jeffrey Overstreet's Tribute to Films about Feasting over at Filmwell. he touches on many films that we've already discussed, suggests a few more tantalizing options, and ties it all together wonderfully with the great film that started this whole Eat This Film exploration, Babette's Feast.

For more information on this and other film series at Grace, visit the Movies @ Grace page on our website.

For discussion:
What's your favorite Foodie movie and why?