Timothy O’Grady English 101 April 12, 2008 Film Analysis “O Brother Where Art Thou” This old time musical theatrical movie clip was an insightful blast from the past that made you cherish those days where it was inconceivable to not be a gentlemen, and it was a down right shame to be anything less then an honest women. This old time movie with a new age attitude definitely strikes the funny bone of any modern day movie watcher. “The opening titles inform us that the Coen Brothers' "O Brother, Where Art Thou" is based on Homer's The Odyssey. The Coens claimed their "Fargo" was based on a true story, but later confided it wasn't; this time they confess they haven't actually read The Odyssey. Still, they've absorbed the spirit. Like its …show more content…
Here is where you meet the leader of the inmate’s chain gang, his stoic like expressions and inferior position gives you the sense that he believes he is in a godlike position. Luckily for our heroes, they continuously escape his clutches safely and their battle for the treasure continues. Our next character introduction takes place at the cross roads on a lonely dirt road, here is where you meet a colored boy by the name of Tommy, who sold his soul to the devil for the gift of guitar playing. The introduction of Tommy is really the first glimpse where you hear these backyard country boys sing; they have the voice of angles and they form a musical group called the Soggy Bottom Boys. This music group sings with a melody that gently touches your heart and speaks to your soul. Unbeknownst to our characters this newly formed group is really a treasure that will pay off big in the end. One of the biggest turning points in the movie is when all the characters are in the woods and a multitude of Jesus believers join together for a good old fashion baptism. This scene is particularly important because here is where Pete and Delmar miraculously change their ways, for they have been saved by the grace of God. This scene makes most movie watchers get the feeling of a religious based movie. After this point if you pay close attention to the symbolism you can
In both Homer’s The Odyssey and the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? the audience is given an opportunity to experience a spectacular adventure, filled with not only the sense of journey, but also the senses of peril and excitement. A tale about a Greek hero being compared to a film set in Middle America starring three jail-escapees seems rather far-fetched. However, upon closer inspection, both actually share a lot in common. The Odyssey stars Odysseus, a man famous for his heroics in the Trojan War. O Brother, Where Art Thou? shows a bit of a contrast by starring Ulysses, a former convict who escaped and began looking for “A Treasure”. So by default, one would assume that that these two stories would be completely different. However, it
O Brother, Where Art Thou? A movie was taken from The Odyssey an epic, both were away from their home for years. Neither Odysseus or Ulysses given up throughout their journey although the authors writen it in different mood and outcome of each event.
The Opening Sequence of the Coen Brothers' Movie O brother Where art Thou? 'O brother where art thou?' has a unique storyline based on Homer's classic tale of 'The Odyssey', which is one story made up of short 'chapters', each relating a different adventure. In this story Ulysses, (who Everett McGill is based on) and his companions (who are the two men, Delmar and Pete, chained to Everett) are trying to get back home, however they anger the Gods and their journey is lengthened.
The Coen Brothers’ “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?”, loosely based on Homer’s classic adventure The Odyssey, is a film amusingly filled with themes of symbolism similar to those found in Homer’s epic, while still maintaining a sense of originality and style that they have become so renowned for. An exciting and entertaining blend of high adventure, humour, and heartfelt emotion, at first glance, the film barely resembles Homer’s poem: only certain elements are obvious, such as the main character’s name and the three sirens by the river. However, a deeper and more intense analysis of the film and text exposes numerous, if not more subtle references.
One example of Joel and Ethan Coen’s collective comedic sensibility is the way in which they duped Fargo audiences by asserting the film was based on true events when it was not. Their joke on the audience in O Brother is that they claim never to have read The Odyssey. Regardless of whether they have actually read the epic poem or simply the Cliff’s Notes version, by combining their working knowledge of the tale with a strong musical accompaniment, they have managed to stay truer to the original’s form than they might have had they attempted to slavishly mimic Homer’s epic style and story.
The Odyssey by Homer is a Greek epic poem based on its main character Odysseus and it took place in the classical Greece. The book was composed in the eight century B.C.E, after the events it describes, and narrates several adventures with the objective of its main character to return home with his family. Moreover, the movie O, Brother Where Art Thou was published in the year 2000 and directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. The movie also narrates the adventures of its main character Ulysses, interpreted by George Clooney, a prisoner that escaped from jail with two partners. Consequently, the film and the movie have its similarities and differences, but at the end the movie was absolutely based on the book.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is based off of Homer’s The Odyssey. After breaking out of jail, Everett, Pete, and Delmar make their way to Everett’s hometown where a treasure has been buried. They have
While Jenny repeatedly rejects Forrest as her lover, she is romantically attracted to him enough to keep coming back into his life. After Forrest’s mother passes away Jenny comes back, saying she misses home and is here to stay. Even after leaving again, she comes back into Forrest’s life with a letter, inviting him to her Georgia home, which brings Forrest to the bus stop where he narrates his autobiography.
There are many reasons to believe that O Brother, Where Art Thou is a movie based upon the events that took place during Homer’s The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a story about Odysseus and his adventure home after the Trojan War. O Brother, Where Art Thou was about the journey of Ulysses and his two partners escaping from prison. Both Odysseus and Ulysses were trying to reach home so they could see their families again. The blind man on the railroad tracks toward the beginning represented the blind prophet Teiresias. Both prophets give bad news. Odysseus is told it will take him many years to reach home. Ulysses is told he will not reach the treasure he seeks. The cousin that turned Ulysses and his two prison mates Delmar and Pete in for the reward represents the Circe turning
The movie O Brother, Where Art Thou is a wonderful movie that was directed by the Coen brothers. The movie features a cast of talented actors, the movie has also won several awards. The book The Odyssey is a timeless classic and it was written by the mysterious bard Homer. The book tells the tale of our hero Odysseus as he attempts to make it home to his wife. There are many ways to relate the movie plot and characters, to Odysseus's journey in The Odyssey.
Time has not become the conqueror for the classical epic poem The Odyssey. For the past 2,500 years it has been turning its pages for many people all around the world, classifying it as the Western literary tradition. Even in the 21st century The Odyssey is still depicting its prominence when the film O Brother, Where Art Thou was directed in 2000 by loosely portraying the epic. The Coen Brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou mirrors themes, motifs, and symbols from Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. Both creative works recount the twists and turns of a man’s journey home. But was it a relevant successful relation between the two? I tend to think so. The movie O Brother, Where
The film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a reinterpretation of the epic poem The Odyssey. The Coen brothers, writers and directors of the film, did not over analyze their representation. “It just sort of occurred to us after we’d gotten into it somewhat that it was a story about someone going home, and sort of episodic in nature, and it kind of evolved into that,” says Joel Coen in Blood Siblings, “It’s very loosely and very sort of unseriously based on The Odyssey” (Woods 32). O Brother, Where Art Thou? contains ideas from The Odyssey for the sake of modernization and entertainment of an audience that comprehends the allusions to the epic. The Coen brothers utilize elements of Homer’s The Odyssey to improve and to give direction to O
The author of The Odyssey is also portrayed in O’ Brother. Everett and his friends hear about a man who will pay them to sing on the radio if they are good. When they reach the
Most people have fixed concept that modern day films and Medieval Greek Epic poems differ a lot as if they are black and white, but the film O Brother, Where Art Thou and the story of The Odyssey are both parallel and perpendicular. O Brother, Where Art Thou and The Odyssey portray their story on the same path, yet on the branched path.
The film O brother, where art thou? is set in the Great Depression of the 1930’s and emphasizes the struggle between the upper and lower classes by using a variety of cinematic devices. Through the use of these cinematic devices and comedic relief the realities of the Depression are viewed without creating a stark, melancholy, documentary-styled film. Examples in this film of these cinematic devices used to show these realities include: