JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1963)
Stop! Motion. Stop Motion, that is. Or, more specifically, stop moving and sit down to read this latest classic film tie to Star Wars penned by guest writer Phil Congleton...
Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
My film choice for June started with the realization that the birthdays of special effects master, Ray Harryhausen (1920) and film music composer Bernard Herrmann (1911), were both on June 29th. The impact that both of these men had on Jason and the Argonauts (1963), was invaluable. Another good thing about the month of June, was the film was released wide across the USA on June 19th, 1963. The film takes place on the ship the Argo. The Argonauts visit the rocky beaches of the Isle of Bronze (which is actually considered the Isle of Crete in Greek mythology) and the warm climates of either the Mediterranean, Aegean or Black Seas (I am assuming these particular seas, because the Argonauts leave from Greece and end up in Colchis, which is in the country of Georgia on the opposite side of the Black Sea). The film in real-life was shot almost entirely in Italy however. As evidenced by the clothes the characters wear and the scorching heat from the sun the Argonauts feel out on the high seas, reminds the audience of the hot Summer days, which makes this a great time to watch this movie. In the 1970s and 1980s, this was also a good film to watch during the Summer, on a syndicated TV channel, on Saturday afternoon, after the school year ended. Creature Double Feature was a great past-time back in those days.
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| Photo by Phil Congleton |
Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
Today, at this point in film history, the film industry in the 21st century is about 130 years old. Jason and the Argonauts (1963), came out near the very beginning of the second half of that. This film is almost sixty years old, definitely making it part of the classic era of film. It's on the cusp though, part of a transitional period, which encapsulated what Ray Harryhausen's impact was, on special effects of the time. What the golden age of cinema did with matting, lighting, wires and physical effects, Ray Harryhausen did for stop-motion effects. He took what he learned from the pioneers and revolutionized the art of special effects for the next 30 years. Harryhausen's stop-motion photography effects he expereinced with the greats (especially from Willis O'Brien of King Kong (1933) and Mighty Joe Young (1949), streamlined the art of the stop-motion film and made his style of special effects front and center on the world stage. He took the reins and made his brand of effects, the state of the art representation of the time period (mid-1950s to the mid-1970s). This film would roughly be the eighth film on his resume, which hired him as the special effects creative supervisor. The accomplishments of his stop-motion photography effects in these films, would become the stuff of legends in cinema. This film is a textbook example of that.
With most types of special effect trends, the films themselves needed a story, that could be wrapped around this special effect style. Many movies were driven through the history of film by the effects that made them possible. TRON (1982), is a good example of that kind of content-driven cinema, pushed by the effects that were created for it. You could even go back to Gojira (1954), for the same kind of example. The Japanese created a multi-billion dollar industry with their brand of special effects. So, what kind of story would Harryhausen and his crew need to come up with in order to exploit this slick style of stop-motion special effects? It would need to be big. It may even need to be god-like. It would need to consist of a journey to far-off places, with many interesting characters and settings along the way. There also needs to be an assortment of wondrous creatures and menacing monsters.
Director Don Chaffey and Harryhausen start things off by highlighting the Greek gods, by having Hera (Honor Blackman), aid the mortal, future King of Thessaly, Jason (Todd Armstrong), in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. There is more to this build-up, but I don't want to say too much. Jason and his Argonauts head out into the open sea, consisting of a large group of noble gladiators, including Hercules (Nigel Green). Hercules comes across as being, kind of, a pompous jerk. He is the one, who gets his fellow Argonauts into trouble early in the film. This god shows an interesting side of himself, as depicted by Green, as being a greedy, self-absorbed, teen-ager, who doesn't follow orders. His actions have bad consequences and he shows every bit the characteristics of a human being. On the flip-side we have Jason, a human, who shows the characteristics of a god-like presence. It is one of the most interesting contrasts of two characters I have ever scene. The human acts like a god. The god acts like a human.
The other side of the fantasy coin is the collection of terrifying creatures that Jason and his band of warriors have to face. All of them done with stop-motion photography. A technique that takes a long time to do. It's a lot of work. The object of Hercules' exit is the giant, moving, bronze statue of the god Talos. A huge lumbering giant with a sword. There also are flying dragon-like Harpies, the multi-headed Hydra and the sword-wielding skeleton soldiers. It is a feast for younger audiences, because of the exciting adventure found in the plot. This film was a huge hit with kids on Saturday afternoons, while watching it in the 1970s and 80s. Adults will love trying to understand how Ray Harryhausen created these great fight scenes, moving models a 1/4 an inch for every shot. It is incredible work. The effects are the highlight of the film and the reason we are here. The characters are actually quite colorful and deep in some ways. The plot is your basic "quest" story, but throws in some interesting stuff, like the gods watching the whole story unfold on a chess board, complete with figurines. The film is a perfect representation of this kind of special effect story. It is why many people know who Ray Harryhausen is. He really was that big of a name in the movie business during this era. This was his eighth film with many more to come.
8.1 (B MyGrade) = 8 IMDB, 4 Stars Letterboxd
Stop (motion) for Star Wars
There are many similarities between the Star Wars saga and this month's film, Jason and the Argonauts (1963). Some of the comparisons come from subtle plot points and a lot of the other comparisons come from the technical side of the equation. Special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen had a major influence on the original trilogy of films. They were still using his special effects techniques in the 1970s and early 1980s. You can see it all over the original Star Wars films. Stop-motion photography effects were used for many of the effects seen in the original trilogy. Since the release of the original films, we all know that George Lucas updated the effects with his special edition releases in the late 1990s and again with his Blu-Ray releases in 2011, but with some of the effects, he kept the nostalgic look of the stop-motion photography that you can still see today. Also on the technical side of the comparison, involves the music soundtrack. Back in February, I mentioned in my Fahrenheit 451 (1966), review that composer Bernard Herrmann had the same impact in his films, that legendary Star Wars film composer John Williams has on these films. Well, Bernard Herrmann is back and you can hear the comparison even more in Jason and the Argonauts (1963).
The stop-motion effects are all over the place in Empire Strikes Back (1980). None is more evident, until we see the AT-AT walkers on the frozen planet of Hoth. They lumber around the terrain terrorizing the rebel forces on the ground. They have a slow, monstrous appearance, just like Talos, the giant bronze statue that terrorizes Jason and his Argonauts on the Isle of Bronze. The only way to stop the AT-AT walkers or Talos is to go on a low attack of either their feet or for the soft under-belly of the giant walkers. Luke (Mark Hamill), dispatches one of the AT-AT walkers by going underneath its under-belly and while using his light saber to cut a hole in the belly of the beast, he tosses a grenade in the hole. The other rebel forces take another one down by tangling its legs up with a metal wire and toppling it over. Once it is on the ground and motionless, they destroy it with some missiles. I'm not going to tell you how Jason dispatches Talos, but you learn early on in the film that Hera tells Jason to go for the ankles. You need to see that scene. Both scenes from both movies utilize the great cinematic trick of stop-motion photography to make their monstrous creations come to life.
The most telling comparison develops from the relationship between Jason and the goddess Hera, with the relationship between Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness). Hera is introduced to the audience just like Obi-Wan is in Star Wars (1977). Hidden underneath a cloak or hood, Hera reveals herself to the evil Pelias (Douglas Wilmer), in order to reveal to him that his crimes will eventually catch up to him. She foreshadows the coming of Jason, who will eventually take the crown from Pelias. Obi-Wan makes his first appearance in a hooded bathrobe and introduces himself to Luke and his droids R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels). He foreshadows the coming of Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones), who has major connections to Luke. Hera's cloak looks a lot like the one that Darth Maul wears in his films too.
As mentioned before, Hera is stuck playing a chess game with Zeus, that controls the lives of all the mortals on Earth. In her attempt to compete with Zeus, Hera sometimes visits Jason to help him or give him hints on what he needs to do, to successfully find the Golden Fleece and complete his mission. In the Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), the now deceased Obi-Wan, contacts Luke from the outer-worldly limbo of the Force. He gives Luke advise and even trains Luke to some degree. Jason has this extra advantage, that creates an energy inside of him, making him even more brave, strong and cunning than even Hercules, a real god. The strength seen in Jason rivals that of the power that Luke harnesses once he masters the Force. Both characters seem like they go through a version of their own growing pains. Hera and Obi-Wan help the young men from their mythological worlds they inhabit now. Luke and Jason mature from their mortal forms into something resembling a god. The only difference is Jason does it in one movie, while Luke did it with three. Obi-Wan is a mentor for Luke, while Hera is a mentor for Jason. This month is just another example of why it is so much fun to compare modern film to the classics.
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