Classics in the Movies
By Ali Winter
For those of you who cannot wait for OJCL Convention and the Classics in the Movies
colloquium, here are some movie snippets to hold you over.
Harry Potter: Many characters in Harry Potter have Latin names and
the spells are in Latin. Professor McGonagall's first name is Minerva–
the Roman Goddess of wisdom. This is especially fitting for her
character because of her wise and knowledgeable demeanor.
Dumbledore's first name is Albus, which means white, and Bellatrix is
the female form of warrior. The use of Latin is a way to subtly
reinforce a character's personality or characteristics. Examples of
spells that use Latin are "Expelliarmus” (I banish weapons), "Lumos”
(light), and "Obliviate” (I forget).
OJCLers getting into the Classical
spirit
Hercules (Disney movie): Obviously a movie sharing the name of a
mythical hero from Greek mythology has a lot of classical references. However, there are many
inaccurate aspects of this movie. In the movie there are five muses but, according to mythology,
there are nine. Hera was not Hercules' mother and Hercules did not ride Pegasus. Finally, Hades
never tried to kill Hercules.
History of the World Part 1: This is a Mel Brooks movie that is
set mainly in Ancient Rome, but also in revolutionary France,
the stone age, etc. In Ancient Rome, Mel Brooks' character is a
"stand-up philosopher" who gets a job at the Emperor's palace.
There are classical references to many aspects of Roman life,
like the Vestal Virgins, gladiators, the emperor, and the Roman
army. Just do not expect all the references to be accurate.
Some of the awards you can win with your
Classics knowledge
Troy: Fall of a City: This is a T.V. series, not a movie, but it deserves to be mentioned. This is a
Netflix series that is based on the Iliad and follows it closely. The series starts out with Paris as a
shepherd and ends with him indirectly causing the fall of Troy.
OJCL Fall Torch page 7