Transcription
November 6, 2013
Movie Review:
Adventures of Hercules
THIS, Fresno
Reviewed by Jennifer Gann
This classic portrayal of the Greek hero, Hercules (Lou Ferrigno) is both entertaining and telling.
As King Minos conspires with the goddesses Hera and Daedalus in rebellion against Zeus in the name of science and chaos, Hercules searches for the seven hidden thunderbolts of Zeus. Hercules is accompanied by the beautiful Glausia (Sonia Viviani) and Urania (Milly Carlucci), the daughter of Hera who is "Goddess and Muse of Space", on an epic adventure through the ancient world.
At one point Hercules encounters the "Amazons of Scythia", women warriors, who attack him and his femme friends. The Amazon "Spider Queen", who is described as "evil" and a "monster", is summoned from fire like a demon. After capturing and attempting to seduce Hercules to succumb to Death, she is killed by Hercules.
What's telling about this movie is the demonization of the Amazon women and their Queen, the portrayal of women as scheming and weak, the patriarchal wisdom of Zeus, and strength of Hercules as a heroic savior and protector of the two dependent women.
The misogynist misrepresentations of women in this movie are shameful and outdated. Perhaps a rewrite and remake of such otherwise remarkable classics will give a fair and unbiased historical picture of the Amazons as an independent nation of women warriors who resisted patriarchy and gender oppression, claimed divine descent, and created their own woman culture as an alternative to male dominated society.
Long live the Amazons!
Please post your comments on any of my blogs, or write to me by snail mail directly:
Jennifer Gann
E-23852
Kern Valley State Prison
P.O. Box 5104
Delano, CA 93216
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