HERCULES
US, 2014, 98 minutes, Colour.
Dwayne Johnson, Ian Mc Shane, John Hurt, Rufus Sewell, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Tobias Santelmann, Reece Ritchie, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, Rebecca Ferguson, Isaac Andrews, Joe Anderson.
Directed by Brett Ratner.
Another Hercules film. He was a popular character in the sand and sandals costume dramas of 50 years ago. He has been impersonated by Lou Ferigno, the original Hulk. And then there was the bizarre Disney film of the mid-1990s. Is enough enough?
Actually, there are many reasons for enjoying this version of Hercules. He is embodied by Dwayne Johnson, formerly the wrestler known as The Rock, more latterly quite an interesting actor, doing serious roles, but not afraid to do tongue-in-cheek spoofs. Another reason is the solid British cast of veteran actors, notably John Hurt as the King of Thrace, Ian Mc Shane as a veteran seer, Joseph Fiennes as the King of Athens, Rufus Sewell as one of Hercules warriors, Peter Mullan as the King of Thrace’s implacable deputy. They all have their big moments, most especially John Hurt in his conspiracies, taunts and comeuppance.
But the main interest in the film is not something you would expect in this kind of high-budget matinee material. It is demythologising.
Demythologising?
The film opens with Hercules’ nephews telling the tales of some of his 12 labours. They have their graphic and special effects moments. But then there is an interruption questioning whether the 12 labours ever actually happened and whether Hercules really was (again despite our seeing some of the scenes of his birth) a son of Zeus and a mortal mother, detested by Zeus’s wife, Hera, and banished to fight the 12 labours and return to become a god. Hercules agrees with the debunking, thinking that legends have been spun about himself, his origins and his feats, turning him into something of a superhero, which he declares he is not.
And this theme continues throughout the film, sometimes seriously, sometimes with a sense of humour.
The main action concerns Hercules being persuaded by the daughter of the King of Thrace to come with his band of followers to resist enemies and consolidate the kingdom. Most of the men are farmers, no idea of military strategy and tactics. Hercules and his band, which include his nephew and the seer as well as a mutant warrior whom he had rescued and the Amazon, Atalanta.
They do a very good job, in fact, of training the men after some initial failures, so that when the two huge battle sequences turn up, that Thracians are a very disciplined military force, able to resist all kinds of attacks.
For those who like a good stoush, they will be more than satisfied with two as well as a climactic finale when Hercules is betrayed, is about to die, but fate steps in (or at least, the warrior, who decided to quit the band and taken the gold reward from the King of Thrace) turns up and it is open slather. And it is quite some slather, Hercules overturning huge bowls of flames which descend on the dissenting troops and destabilising the basis of the huge statue of Hera which falls down on Hercules’ foes.
The film was directed by Brett Ratner, whose films include the three Rush Hour films as well as an X-Men? film, The Last Stand.
Even critics came out of the screening more satisfied that they expected to be!
1. Expectations of the film about Hercules? Similarities to other Hercules films? Differences?
2. Audience knowledge of Hercules, the prologue, the telling of the tales, lion, the Hydra? Action, special effects? The transition to Thrace? The threats? The sets and costumes? Artificial/ real? The rousing score?
3. Demythologising Hercules? The idea? The role of the legends, Zeus, his mother, the birth? Hera hitting him? The 12 labours? The boy telling tales? Amphiaraus and his visions? Autolycus and his comments about the legend? Hercules himself, tongue in cheek, downplaying the heroicss?
4. The film as a matinee action adventure, battles, the climactic confrontation? Satisfying? Pop culture?
5. The serious aspects, the 12 labours and the serious legends, Hercules’ motivations? Athens, Thrace, the leaders, the realism? The psychological dimension? The slaughter of his wife and children, the visualising after 90 minutes, the responsibility of the king?
6. Hercules and his band, the different types? Amphiaraus, age and experience, visionary, expecting his death and Hercules thwarting him? His final ironic comments? Autolycus, the warrior, sardonic, leaving at the end, taking the gold, his return and saving the group? Tydeus, barbaric, strong, but mute, training the troops, his final loyalty, death and Hercules’ grief? Atalanta, the Amazon, skills, archery, feminine? Iolaus and his being the nephew his telling the tales, young, wanting to go into battle, his final action defending Hercules? The band together against Cotys, final battles, success?
7. Athens, the King, Hercules completing his labours, his being welcome, the crowd, his wife and children? The later revelation, the King ordering the deathe, the wolves?
8. Cotys, his daughter persuading Hercules to stay, her plea, the son and his seeing Hercules as a hero? The promise? The threat of the enemies, the centaurs? Rhesus? The character of Cotys, Sitacles as his associate, relying on him? His hostile attitudes?
9. The men, farmers, the training, the shields and formations, testing, the drills?
10. The attack, the battle, the choreography, the techniques? The effect of this long sequence?
11. The aftermath of the battle, the threats, the spies, the centaurs, their arrival?
12. The reality of Rhesus and his troops, the extended sequence of the battle, the strategies, tactics, Rhesus and his attack, the cavalry, the arrows, the flames? Thracian troops and holding fast, the shields, the cover, Atalanta and the arrows? The capture of Rhesus, humiliating him? In the dining hall? Cotys’ daughter trying to help?
13. The banquet, the crowning of Cotys as King of Thrace, Sitacless and his action? Cotys being fickle?
14. The journey of Hercules, Autolycus and his leaving, with the gold? His return and help? The King of Athens? The taunts? The wolves? Hercules and his battle, killing the wolves? The soldiers? The troops outside, sending down the bowls of fire? Undermining the statue of Hera and its irony with her hostility towards Hercules? Cotys and his continual taunts, his death?
15. Peace, the young boy restored to be the King? The development of the legends? The serious aspect? The flip comic side?
