Queen Christina (1933) Director: Rouben Mamoulian Starring the famous Greta Garbo, Queen Christina is a historically inaccurate retelling of the story of Queen Christina of Sweden in the 17th Century. Christina assumed the role of Queen after the death of her father, but preferred the educated life of a scholar. Amidst pressures from her people to … Continue reading Queen Christina
The Failure of Orestes
While many other Greek tragedies tend to reiterate already established myths and customs, Euripides's Orestes appears to be entirely his own invention. Chronologically, the plot of the play takes place after the events contained in Aeschylus's Libation Bearers. It was first performed in 408 BC, near the close of the Peloponnesian War. In Orestes, Electra recounts the story … Continue reading The Failure of Orestes
Notes on the Enuma Elish
The Enuma Elish, or "when on high", is named for the opening lines of the poem. It is a fragmented Akkadian poem that borrows from a number of earlier cosmogonies from the Sumerians and Semitic cultures. The Akkadian version, discovered in the ruins of ancient Babylon, exists on seven tablets and has sometimes been called the … Continue reading Notes on the Enuma Elish
Thoughts on The Suppliants
Not to be confused with Aeschylus's The Suppliants, a story of the founding of Argos, Euripides's The Suppliants (or also called The Suppliant Women) tells the story of the grieving women of Argos. Their sons have died in battle against Creon of Thebes, but he has denied their proper burial rights leaving their bodies to rot in the … Continue reading Thoughts on The Suppliants
The Age of Innocence on Trial
The title of Edith Wharton's most famous and Pulitzer Prize winning novel is most likely derived from a famous painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds. The painting was created sometime between 1785-1788 (see below). Sir Reynolds did not actually title the painting, as the name was given to the work after his death. The painting was … Continue reading The Age of Innocence on Trial
The Gay Divorcee
The Gay Divorcee (1934) Director: Mark Sandrich The Gay Divorcee is a delightfully nostalgic film. It was the second of ten pairings for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in movies. It was based on a musical of the same name. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. The film takes place on … Continue reading The Gay Divorcee
The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) Director: Alfred Hitchcock When Francois Truffaut famously interviewed Alfred Hitchcock (published in 1967), Hitchcock remarked that The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) was merely the work of an amateur. He later went on to create his own remake in 1956, which he much preferred. The film holds nothing in … Continue reading The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Scarlet Empress
The Scarlet Empress (1934) Director: Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg once said of his film: "It is a relentless excursion into style." The Scarlet Empress is a cinematic delight. The film is filled with striking imagery, expressionist lighting, and it is topped off with excellent acting from the great Marlene Dietrich, von Sternberg's actress … Continue reading The Scarlet Empress
Notes on the Origins of the Epic of Gilgamesh
Pieces of the Gilgamesh story have been found all over Mesopotamia (a word coming from the Greek for "land between rivers" in reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers). According to Sumerian myth, Gilgamesh may have been the fifth king to rule after the great deluge, a flood narrative strikingly similar to the Biblical story … Continue reading Notes on the Origins of the Epic of Gilgamesh
Brief Notes on the Rhesus
The Rhesus is a highly disputed tragedy that is commonly attributed to Euripides. It is a short play, though not altogether a tragedy in the classic sense of the word. Unlike many other Greek tragedies, Rhesus takes place during the Homeric canon, during the events of Book X of the Iliad. The plot encompasses the events of a … Continue reading Brief Notes on the Rhesus
