"Wonder Woman" and "Julius Caesar" to conclude Mimesis Classic Film Series

In the 2017 blockbuster film of the same name, Wonder Woman is shown being raised among a community of Amazonian warriors who were created by Zeus to protect humankind against the machinations of Ares, the Greek God of War. 

The film generated much discussion about how powerful women can be portrayed in Hollywood, yet few may be aware that the ancient history of the Amazons is rooted in the not-so-powerful insecurities of men.

"For the Greeks and Romans, stories about the Amazons, which were written by men and for men, were more likely thought experiments that played to masculine anxieties and attitudes," said David Crane, assistant professor of classics.

These types of connections between the past and present are the focus of the Mimesis Classic Film Series, presented by the Classics Department.

Crane, Mimesis coordinator, said the film series provides audiences ideas about how ancient texts continue to inform modern thought through public literature and productions.

"While it can take years of study to appreciate how classical texts have informed areas as disparate as the political ideas of our founding fathers, European law, architecture, feminist and queer theory, and the philosophy of human rights, to name a few examples, everyone loves a good story, and the Greeks and Romans wrote some of the best," said Crane. "Classical texts contain hundreds of tales that have inspired everything from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet,' to the Percy Jackson series and Spike Lee's recent film 'Chi-Raq' about gun violence in Chicago's South Side."

The final two films of the 2017-18 series will be screened in March, beginning with "Julius Caesar," a 2012 film directed by Gregory Doran.

Each screening will take place from 6:15-8:30 p.m. in Lake Michigan Hall, room 176. Discussions about each movie will take place following the screenings.

"Julius Caesar" will be screened on March 15, the anniversary of Julius Caesar's assassination. The film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play that is set in modern-day Africa, at the time of the Arab Spring.

"The life and assassination of Julius Caesar provides fertile material for thinking about champions of democracy as well as how and why populist leaders turn tyrant, which partially accounts for the lasting popularity of stories about Rome's most famous dictator," said Crane.

"Wonder Woman," directed by Patty Jenkins, will be screened on March 25.

Crane added that, while the films chosen for the series are related to classics course work, no prior background in the field is needed to participate in the viewings and discussions.

For more information, contact Crane at [email protected]. The event is LIB 100 approved for students.