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{en} Alastair Blanshard - Kim Shahabudin. Classics on Screen: Ancient Greece and Rome on Film (London: Bristol Classical Press, 2011).

Abstract

"Cinema loves Greece and Rome. Hollywood epics, animated movies, avant-garde features - all have turned to classical antiquity for inspiration. On the silver screen, we see a world of virtuous Christians, depraved pagans, gladiators and muscle-bound demigods - a potent mix of sex, violence and art. So pervasive are these images that this cinematic output dominates the public understanding of the ancient world. Through analysis of ten influential films, this book examines the representation of Greece and Rome in popular and art-house cinema. Arranged by cinematic genre, it offers an accessible introduction to the depiction of antiquity in cinema."-

Contents

Establishing the conventions : Cleopatra (1934) -- The Roman epics of classical Hollywood : Quo vadis (1951) -- Peplum traditions : Hercules (1958) -- Roman history on screen : Spartacus (1960) -- Greek history on screen : The 300 Spartans (1962) -- Myth and the fantastic : Jason and the Argonauts (1963) -- Art cinema : Fellini-Satyricon (1969) -- Satirising cine-antiquity : Monty Python's life of Brian (1979) -- The Disney version : Hercules (1997) -- The return of the epic? : Gladiator (2000).