IMMORTALS
US, 2011, 110 minutes, Colour.
Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Stephen Dorff, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, John Hurt, Isabel Lucas, Kellan Lutz.
Directed by Tasim Singh.
I was going for the word ‘silly’ as a capsule comment when I came across a reviewer (who generally liked the film) who used the word ‘nuttiness’. He was right.
Does anybody really take the films about the doings of the Greek gods and their myths seriously – not that Immortals is really a serious take on the gods but here they are, Zeus, Athena, Poseidon – and find their goings on faintly credible? Clash of the Titans? Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief? The forthcoming Wrath of the Titans? It is all pretty remote. We oldies may have studied some Greek and Ancient History so are on familiar enough ground. But, what do the multiplex audiences really think?
Anyway, here they are in a somewhat lurid and bloodthirsty tale that twists some of the legends of Theseus and the Minotaur, Hyperion, Zeus and the Titans. It is filmed in 3D, with atmospherically artificial sets, with ambiguous light and darkness (as with 300), a pounding score – and directed by Tarsem Singh who has some unusual credits, the Jennifer Lopez thriller, The Cell, and his history and culture bending, The Fall.
Mickey Rourke plays the villain (and quite sadistic in his range of tortures and executions), Hyperion, as if he were on leave from a bender in the Bronx. By contrast, John Hurt is full of dignity and gravitas as an old adviser to Theseus who is actually Zeus on earth (with Luke Evans taking up a more athletic, musclebound Zeus on Olympus). Actually, Henry Cavill is quite a musclebound Theseus, square-jawed and determined. Frieda Pinto is a virginal prophetess who sees the future and is anxious to be neither.
So, it is another humans-gods-titans clash which can be described as silly or nutty.
1. The audience for this kind of historical fantasy? Action features? Ancient history? Stories of the gods, the Titans and humans?
2. The production values: the lavish sets, the style of colour photography (muted, amber)? The special effects? The action sequences and computer graphics? The artificial style of the film? Its musical score?
3. The introduction with the quotation from Socrates? Giving the film some gravitas – before it loses it? The locations, the Greek coast, the sea, the cliffs, the villages? The contrast with the palaces and their interiors? The scenes on Mount Olympus – and the world of the gods? The Titans and their imprisonment?
4. The myths of Theseus and King Hyperion? From the ancients sources? The variations in the storytelling – adapted for the popular audience? How important was this – or not?
5. The situation of the gods, Zeus, Athena, Heracles? Poseidon? The scenes on Olympus, the clashes with the Titans and their imprisonment? The gods and their not to be seen by humans? Their not intervening in human affairs? But Zeus coming to Earth, disguised as an old man? His tutoring of Theseus? The later interventions, the gods having to fight, against Hyperion? The release of the Titans? The victory? The characterisations of the gods – Zeus as athletic hero? Athena and her relationship with her father? Poseidon and the sea?
6. Theseus, the background of his life, his mother, working? The authorities, slaves? The hard work? The atmosphere of revolution? Theseus as an adult, strong? His leadership qualities? Being trained by the old man – Zeus in disguise?
7. The old man, his dignity, his quotations, his helping Theseus, his being taken – and his going back to being Zeus?
8. The young men of the village, their working together? The traitor and his attack on Theseus? His being ousted from the kingdom? Going to King Hyperion? Hyperion and his brutality towards him? Making him his lieutenant, his power over him?
9. Stavros, the wisecracks, the slave? His attitude towards life, carefree? His teaming up with Theseus? His heroism, his presence in the fights?
10. The prophetess, the three women together? Their characters? Prophetic virgins? Hyperion wanting to find them, to get the information? Their being captured, the two being tortured, Phaedra and her escape? Her being rescued by Theseus? Suspicions? Her love for him? Their sexual encounter – and the birth of their child to be a later hero?
11. King Hyperion, Mickey Rourke’s presence and performance, particularly American? Power-hungry? His kingdom? His treatment of his slaves? His brutality?
12. The frequent scenes of torture, their graphic nature – fitting into the film? Excess?
13. The building up of the war situation? Theseus and his imprisonment, , leadership? People rallying round him?
14. The strategies, the battle sequences? Showy action?
15. The resolution of the problems? Peace on Earth? In the heavens? The credibility of this kind of story of gods in a rather more sceptical 21st century?
