MovieChat Forums > Hercules (2014) Discussion > The Complants about it not being like th...

The Complants about it not being like the Myth.

posted 9 years ago by TwoFace224
4 replies | jump to latest

This seems to come up when any movie about Greek Mythology is made. Like many might bring up the fact that Hercules did kill his wife and kids in a fit of rage. But here is the question. How many people today would considers someone a hero. Regardless of what he did in his past. If he did kill his wife and kids. I bet most people would not consider that person to worthy of the title Hero and they probably would be put behind bars. There tons of things that were totally acceptable in Ancient Greek society that people would find unacceptable today. Like Child Molestation and Incest. I mean if these movie was exactly like the Myth not only would Hercules Kill is own Kid and Wife. He would be sleeping with his own nephew Iolaus as well. Hell there has never been a single Hercules movie to mention he was Bi-Sexual. As for Hercules being just a Man instead of Demi-God. I really don't care. There a hundred different version of Spider-man and Batman. I don't see a problem with a couple of different versions of Hercules.

[–] vojkan087 9 years ago

The point is that in Greek myth Heracles is a very complex character that inspired many scholarly works in literature, philosophy, sociology etc. and as such could provide an excellent material for a much deeper and more serious movie.

He isn't a clear cut hero, a bastion of human virtue, but not a villain either, and that is what makes him beautiful and inspirational character.

Instead, in this comic book movie, we got a generic, dumbed down cgi bull, with you generic type 1 barbarian looking hero, a couple of cool effects that would make a 12yo go WOW, and that's about it. Worthless, pointless, poorly researched, lazy junk that didn't even decide what it wants to be and actually manages to contradict its main premise by the end of the movie.

On a separate note...While I agree Ancient Greek myths feature many, many elements that are not considered politically correct today, and would rarely make it to the big screen...the bisexuality thing is even more problematic than you might think.

Firstly because homosexual elements in the myth are a much later (artistic) device that appeared centuries after the myth originated, so not including them is actually keeping with the original tradition.

Secondly, because in those later versions, homosexuality or bisexuality as you called it isn't even that, but pederasty, relations with young men that would be considered minors today. And since pederasty is a punishable crime today, one of the more disgusting ones, it would be very odd to have such a hero and hope to appeal to general public. And, to repeat myself, it would also not be true to the oldest/original sources.

[–] dimsum73-1 9 years ago

Agreed. This was basically an action movie with mythological trappings.

[–] Skye_Reynolds 9 years ago

The departure from the source material was the least of the film's worries.

[–] bond_98 8 years ago

That is usually the Common Complaint when anyone dose anything with Hercules. "Is its not like the Myth". Even when Kevin Sorbo was playing part in the 90's. They made Iolaus his childhood friend. Instead of cousin and long time Butt Buddy. He never killed his wife and kids in that version either. I doubt any modern Hercules movie is going to be 100% like the myth. The Steve Reeve Hercules was also 100% Hertero.