Ancient world through the Renaissance

¶ … Epic Journey

Probably one of the most popular and well-known recent films about an epic journey or quest is "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" which is actually a modern (and very tongue in cheek) retelling of the epic odyssey of Ulysses by Homer. His epic poem is called "The Odyssey," and it is still studied and dissected today. The hero in the film is Ulysses Everett McGill (played by George Clooney), who is a convict on a chain gang during the depression. He convinces two other convicts to escape with him to search for bank robbery loot buried in an area that will soon be flooded when a large dam is completed.

The three face many adventures, including many references to Homer's epic poem. They meet a blind oracle who tells them they will have many adventures and face many "ob-stack-ales." They meet sirens, and Cyclops, and many other characters, just as Ulysses discovers the same things in his journey. The film does not seem to have the same outcome as the poem, but in the end, it does, and that is one of the things that makes it so enjoyable. The viewer does not know what is coming until the end, and the journey is complete.

Throughout the film, it seems as if Ulysses and his friends are only searching for the money. It is not until the end of the film that the truth comes out. Ulysses epic journey has really been to return to his family, just as Ulysses did in "The Odyssey." There is no bank robbery money, but Ulysses does not reveal that until late in the film. However, these "good guys" do triumph in the end. Their song "Constant Sorrow," "sung into a can" at a lonely radio station in the middle of nowhere, becomes a big hit, and so, they do find "buried treasure," just not the treasure they thought they were looking for.

Because the viewer thinks the money is the goal through much of the film, the goal and why it is being sought really gains importance at the end. Initially, the viewer thinks the men are seeking the money just for money itself, and there is a scene when they discuss what they will do with the money once they reclaim it. However, the real goal is for Ulysses to reunite with his family, and that is a truly noble goal. He loves his wife and does not want her to marry someone else, and he loves his daughters, as well. Ultimately, Ulysses' goal is righteous, even if he does go about achieving it in some dubious ways. This helps make his journey an epic journey - his goals are noble and he overcomes evil and obstacles to make it come true.

Again, the story follows the poem "The Odyssey" as the trio attempt to outwit the sheriff and the dogs following them, and achieve their goal. They must first find someone to break the chains that bind them together. Then, they must travel a great distance to where the money is supposedly buried. As they travel, they meet other travelers, such as "Baby Face" Nelson, a notorious bank robber, a blind oracle who urges them to complete their journey, and a blind Bible salesman/Cyclops/KKK member who beats them for their money. They also encounter a large religious group coming through the forest to be baptized at a river, sirens who supposedly "lure" Pete into lustful relations and turn him into a toad, and many other characters. They consistently have to stay one step ahead of the sheriff and his bloodhounds, and still must find a way to be pardoned at the end, or they will go back to prison. They steal cars; meet a guitar player who believes he can play the guitar because he sold his soul to the devil, and some hospitable people who help them along their journey. Most of the film involves their travels, trials, and tribulations, and it often seems as if they will never attain their goal, which is another element of an epic journey.