The Classical World in Film

Catalog description

This interdisciplinary course investigates the use of themes from classical history, literature, and mythology in modern cinematography. Its focal point is the artistic appropriation of these themes in service of a fresh literary and cinematic vision. Films with classical themes are viewed as a part of the process of creative imitation and reinvention of a “classic”. Each segment of the course discusses a specific theme, starting with the thorough analysis of the relative ancient texts and material culture/archaeology. Reading assignments will include selections from Greek and Roman, such as epic, tragedy, history, lyric poetry, philosophy, and novel. The readings will be flanked by a selection of movies and clips that show modern adaptations of the same theme discussed in the readings.