Ancient Greece In Film And Popular Culture

This history of Greece in the 20th century imagination - from film to science fiction and comics - examines the preconceptions of the ancient world which cause difficulties in contemporary media.

This revised and expanded second edition responds to new developments in the reception of Greece in contemporary popular culture, and particularly the impact of the film 300 (2006). Why, in a century of film-making, have so few versions of the story of Alexander the Great - or that of Troy's fall - made it to the big screen? In the aftermath of Gladiator (2000), with Hollywood studios rushing to revisit the ancient world with Troy and Alexander (both 2004), this question takes on renewed significance. Nisbet unpacks the ideas that continue to make Greece hot property - often too hot for Hollywood to handle. His lively explorations, which assume no prior expertise in classical or film studies, will appeal to all with an interest in 'reception': the present day's re-use and re-invention of the past.

This title comprises a collection of essays presenting a variety of approaches to films set in Ancient Greece and Rome and to films that reflect archetypal features of classical literature. The book illustrates the continuing presence of antiquity in the most varied and influential medium of modern popular culture. The diversity of content and theoretical stances found in this work should make this volume required reading for scholars and students interested in the presence of Greece and Rome in modern popular culture.

A comprehensive treatment of the Classical World in film and television, A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen closely examines the films and TV shows centered on Greek and Roman cultures and explores the tension between pagan and Christian worlds. Written by a team of experts in their fields, this work considers productions that discuss social settings as reflections of their times and as indicative of the technical advances in production and the economics of film and television. Productions included are a mix of Hollywood and European spanning from the silent film era though modern day television series, and topics discussed include Hollywood politics in film, soundtrack and sound design, high art and low art, European art cinemas, and the ancient world as comedy. Written for students of film and television as well as those interested in studies of ancient Rome and Greece, A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen provides comprehensive, current thinking on how the depiction of Ancient Greece and Rome on screen has developed over the past century. It reviews how films of the ancient world mirrored shifting attitudes towards Christianity, the impact of changing techniques in film production, and fascinating explorations of science fiction and technical fantasy in the ancient world on popular TV shows like Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, and Dr. Who.

, Martin M. Winkler, and Maria Wyke--Peter Bondanella, Indiana University "Classical Outlook"

Cinema loves Greece and Rome. Hollywood epics, animated movies, avant-garde features - all have turned to classical antiquity for inspiration. On the silver screen, we see a world of virtuous Christians, depraved pagans, gladiators, charioteers, Spartan warriors, and muscle-bound demigods - a potent mix of sex, violence and art. So pervasive are these images that this cinematic output dominates the public understanding of the ancient world. Through analysis of ten influential films, this book examines the representation of Greece and Rome in both popular and art-house cinema, arranged by cinematic genre. Key scenes are discussed and each film is located in its historical context.

Over the past thirty years, the representation of Greek history in literature, film, and popular culture has undergone significant change. This book investigates the ways in which history operates as a tool for contemporary storytellers in various genres to contemplate the meaning of the past and its implications for the future.

In Ancient Virtues and Vices in Modern Popular Culture, Eran Almagor and Lisa Maurice offer a collection of chapters dealing with the reception of antiquity in modern popular media, and focusing on a comparison between ancient and modern sets of values.