McGeough/Representations of Antiquity, 7. Gods, Monsters, and Musclemen

Often overlooked in the discussion of ancient history on film is the treatment of Greek myths. Chapter 7 addresses this, first by looking at how Harryhausens’s stop-motion animation influenced generations in regards to classical storytelling. Following this is a discussion of the Italian Hercules film and later muscleman films, such as the Scorpion King series and especially the Conan the Barbarian films. Particularly addressing issues of gender and race, this chapter explores how the past provides a setting for particularly regressive fantasies in relation to these issues to be played out and expressed.