Clash of the Titans (1981) / Fantasy-Adventure

MPAA Rated: PG for violence and nudity
Running Time: 118 min.

Cast: Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Neil McCarthy, Sian Phillips, Claire Bloom, Ursula Andress, Susan Fleetwood, Jack Gwillim, Pat Roach
Director: Desmond Davis
Screenplay: Beverley Cross
Review published April 18, 2005

One of my childhood favorites, so take this into consideration as you witness what might be an overly nostalgic review of Clash of the Titans.  Although it is better known today as the last film worked on by stop-motion animation from creature-creator Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad), it is in the imaginative scenarios, colorful villains, and nicely developed action scenes that this Desmond Davis (Ordeal by Innocence, Girl with Green Eyes) directed fantasy shines.

In this day and age of nearly imperceptible CG, Clash of the Titans admittedly doesn't really stack up, as the believability of the special effects is wildly inconsistent.  In order to appreciate it on its own terms, one has to overlook the artificial looking visuals for some robust adventure, and in that vein, it captures the essence and attraction of Greek Mythology unlike any other film of its era, even if it deviates quite a bit in its story and characters from those found in ancient texts.  In the film's defense, even the ancient Greeks had a very fluid idea of these myths, often tailoring them to the audiences at hand, so artistic license should be deemed as allowable for modern epic storytelling purposes.

The main hero of the story is Perseus (Harry Hamlin, Shoot or Be Shot), mortal son to the leader of the Greek gods, Zeus (Laurence Olivier, Spartacus).  Perseus was to have his own kingdom when he grew to adulthood, but a dispute among the gods would find his future kingdom of Argos destroyed, as he would barely escape with his life as an infant.  Growing up, Perseus would learn the ways of the warrior, and would soon vie for the hand of the beautiful princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker, Brother Sun Sister Moon), but she is slated to be the sacrificial virgin to appease the mightiest of the Titans, the sea-monster known as the Kraken (a creature's name taken from Scandinavian origin and not from Greek mythology. The Kraken is traditionally a giant octopus, but Harryhausen envisioned the creature to be depicted as a loving homage to the most popular of stop-motion creatures, King Kong).  The Kraken is said to be indestructible, but with the help of his captured winged steed Pegasus and some magic armor provided by Zeus, Perseus has the tools and determination to complete the marriage to the fair Andromeda by saving her from almost certain doom.

One can easily remember certain key scenes from Clash of the Titans far more than the whole story, but the strength of those scenes are more than enough to make this adventure grand.  The battle between Perseus and Medusa, who isn't an actual Titan from mythology -- but then none of the rest are either) is perhaps the key scene of the entire movie, which would frighten me enough to keep my face in my hands as a youth.  The enormity of the Kraken, the detail of Bubo the mechanical owl, the graceful flying gallop of Pegasus, the deadliness of the giant scorpions, and the sinister look of the tailed Calibos (a character also not born from Greek myths, but based on Caliban from Shakespeare's "The Tempest") -- all Harryhausen creations that blend well with the live action to infuse the film with a feel of the fantastic.  It isn't always convincing, but it's still impressive given the difficulty of adding stop-motion to live action footage. 

Reportedly, Harryhausen was given the concept for the film and proceeded to construct scenes around the myths he read while researching the Perseus myth, while Beverley Cross constructed her script around the ideas that Harryhausen brought forth for the action sequences.  Harryhausen also made changes to the nature of the creatures, assuming that they may have been fearful in ancient times, but in today's more discriminating world of cinematic visuals, creatures like Medusa needed more than snake hair to make her fearsome, adding a serpent's tail and deadly bow and arrow to make her a truly formidable opponent worthy of a lengthy boss fight.  The owl character of Bubo is replaced with the more marketable (and memorable) mechanical version, brought to life by Harryhausen's wizardry, and would give the movie a dose of comic relief that captivates younger viewers much in the way that R2-D2 would for the Star Wars films of the era, though the makers of the film insist that Bubo had been in the early scripting phase some time before the release of Star Wars and was not an attempt to emulate the popularity of the popular droid among kids.

Most critics would tell you that the acting in Clash of the Titans is a disappointment, but I will go to bat for the casting choices and the performances.  Harry Hamlin is suitably handsome, imposing and heroic in a classic tradition, showing bravery and honor, yet also feeling some sense of fear and awe when encountering each progressively more menacing set of foes.  Burgess Meredith, who was primarily cast in order to have a recognizable American actor to help promote the film in the United States, as the hack tragedian named Ammon is a charismatic and somewhat comical sidekick, with Meredith offering a touch of that mentor role that served him well in the Rocky series, without becoming overbearing. 

Having Maggie Smith, who happened to be screenwriter Beverley Cross's wife, and their close friend Laurence Olivier (who was quite ill during the week he worked on the shoot, resulting in a more subdued performance), among the cast is nothing to sneeze at, and even if their roles don't require acting performances worthy of their time and interest, they provide the gravitas necessary to make the scenes involving the gods as weighty and impactful.  And for Andromeda, veteran British TV actress Judi Bowker is beautiful, graceful and royal, allowing us to believe that this is a woman worthy of Perseus going to battle to marry; she would seem like a movie star, so it's hard to believe Clash of the Titans remains Bowker's most well-known work.  Ursula Andress added another name, and is fitting to play Aphrodite, but her fans may be disappointed to observe that she only has a single line to utter in the film.  One who wouldn't be disappointed at her casting is Harry Hamlin, who would enter into a relationship with Andress during production, and with whom they would have a son, the actress's only child.

A gorgeous score by Laurence Rosenthal (The Miracle Worker, Becket) also enhances the tale, meshing perfectly with the sweeping story with grace and elegance.  With some London-based interiors at Pinewood Studios, combined with lush locale work shot in Spain, Malta, Italy and other Mediterranean locales, the world of Clash of the Titans looks authentic and exotic in a convincing way.  It was a pricey production in Harryhausen's filmography, his most expensive by far, but would become a big hit, ranking #11 for 1981's box office, despite opening the very same weekend as the #1 film of the year, the juggernaut known as Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Clash of the Titans opened up a world of interest in the life, times and beliefs of the Ancient Greeks, and I credit it as partially responsible for my pursuit of a degree in Classics.  Although sword and sorcery films would be all the rage at the time of the release of this film, this is one of very few examples of the timeless appeal of these stories, inspired by tales of heroic valor that have survived over the centuries.  Dated to be sure, but in a quaint sort of way.  Clash of the Titans ends with nostalgic beauty that perfectly encapsulates the reason why it is a treasured film for many who were fortunate enough to see it through the indiscriminating eyes of youth.

-- A charmless remake was produced in 2010

 Qwipster's rating::

©2005 Vince Leo