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
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Thoughts on Iphigenia in Tauris
The title of Euripides's Iphigenia in Tauris can literally be translated as 'Iphigenia Among the Taurians'. The term Tauris is not actually a place, but it refers to the Greek word for the Crimean Peninsula (Taurike). The Iphigenia story has fascinated and horrified artists since antiquity. Several later versions of the Iphigenia story were created, including one … Continue reading Thoughts on Iphigenia in Tauris
Zemlaya (Earth)
Zemlaya (Earth) (1930) Director: Alexander Dovzhenko Zemlaya is silent Soviet propaganda film, and is Dozhenko's best known film in the West. It is part three of his Ukraine trilogy (he only personally directed seven films during his lifetime, before focusing on novels, instead). The story loosely follows a family of farmers in Ukraine, during the … Continue reading Zemlaya (Earth)
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966) Director: Sergio Leone Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo is perhaps the most famous "spaghetti western" of all time, starring Clint Eastwood. It is the third and final episode in the Dollars Trilogy starring Clint Eastwood, with A Fistful of Dollars (1962) and For A Few Dollars … Continue reading The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
L’Atalante
L'Atalante (1934) Director: Jean Vigo Vigo was a 1930s French film director, and L'Atalante was his only feature length film. He was only active mainly from 1930-1934, and none of his films were commercial successes, leaving his wife ill and poor to the point that he had to see his camera at one point. He … Continue reading L’Atalante
Thoughts on “Pre-Historic” Art
In looking back over the great arc of human art (mimesis), we encounter the earliest examples of human creation originating thousands of years ago. We are told that some 30,000 years ago prior to the first Ice Age, there was a seemingly spontaneous explosion of human creativity in Europe. This is called by modern scientists: … Continue reading Thoughts on “Pre-Historic” Art
The Gorgias, A Dialogue of War and Battle
The Gorgias, a dialogue of "war and battle" has been called the natural introduction to the Republic. Why is this the case? The Gorgias shows us a unique drama - a pupil of a foreign rhetorician versus a pupil of the Athenian philosopher. It is a dialogue in battle, perhaps the dialogue in battle, as Callicles's opening words … Continue reading The Gorgias, A Dialogue of War and Battle
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) Director: Rouben Mamoulian This was the first and most famous adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. MGM remade the movie ten year later with Spencer Tracy as the lead, however the film was unsuccessful and March ironically sent a telegram … Continue reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
L’age d’Or
L'age d'Or (1930) Director: Luis Bunuel One of the first sound films made in France, L'age d'Or or "the age of gold" is a surprisingly compelling surrealist film with the screenplay written by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, not unlike their earlier film, Un Chien Andalou. It is a strangely Freudian film that is linked by a … Continue reading L’age d’Or
Initial Thoughts on Plato’s Laches
In Plato's short dialogue called the Laches we encounter the question of courage. Lysimachus and Melesias are seeking guidance from some of Athen's older and more experienced on the best way to raise their sons so they will become good. Both Lysimachus and Melesias are ashamed because they did not fight in battle the way their forefathers did against … Continue reading Initial Thoughts on Plato’s Laches
