O Brother

1. &The Odyssey&The Odyssey
The Gods Must Be Crazy:The Gods Must Be Crazy:

2. • Everett Ulysses
McGill and his “crew,”
Delmar and Pete are
sprung from a chain
gang and try to reach
Everett’s home
• Along the way the are
confronted by a series
of strange characters
• O Brother Overview:

3. • Oh, Brother Where Art
Thou
– Odyssey’s Influence • The opening credits state
the film is based on The
Odyssey by Homer.
• Director’s Quote:
– “It just sort of occurred to
us after we’d gotten into it
somewhat that it was a
story about someone going
home, and sort of episodic
in nature, and it kind of
evolved into that. It’s very
loosely and very sort of
unseriously based on The
Odyssey.”

4. • The Odyssey’s
Influence on the Film:
• While the overall plot
is only vaguely similar
to that of the
Odyssey, there are
certain "episodes"
that closely mirror the
film's classical
influence.
• The beginning of the
film repeats Homer’s
famous words,, "O
Muse! Sing in me,
and through me tell
the story...",

5. • Direct Connections
– Names & Characters
• Ulysses
– the Latin form of the
Greek name
Odysseus
– the first name of the
film's protagonist,
Ulysses Everett McGill
– Both Odysseus and
Everett share can be
conceited
– Both have some
cleverness and
leadership ability

6. • Penelope – Odysseus’ wife
– Penny, a shortened
version of Penelope, is
the name of Everett’s
wife.
– Has been waiting for
Everett like Penelope
has waited for
Odysseus
– Penny, however, does
not share the same
dogged loyalty that
Penelope showed
waiting for Odysseus
to return

7. • The Suitors – The Suitors attempt to
steal Odysseus’ wife
and kingdom
– Vernon symbolizes the
suitors waiting to
marry Penelope

8. • Menelaus – The King of Sparta,
who fought alongside
Odysseus at Troy.
– Menelaus "Pappy"
O'Daniel Menelaus
– "Pappy" O'Daniel, who
pardons the Soggy
Bottom Boys at the
end of the film

9. • Homer – Author of the classical
text.
– Pappy O'Daniel's
challenger in the
election is Homer
Stokes
– Since it is an election
the effect of naming a
candidate Homer is
simple: the name
“Homer” can be seen
throughout on election
materials

10. • The Sirens – Sirens attempt to
seduce sailors with
their beautiful song
– Washing women try to
seduce Ulysses and
his men
– Perhaps the most
obvious connection
between the film and
the epic

11. • Tiresias
• The Cyclops
– The blind prophet that
guides Odysseus on his
journey home to Ithaca
– The Blind Seer (railroad
hobo) is Tiresias, the
blind ghost prophet.
– Polyphemus, one-eyed
son of Poseidon
– Daniel "Big Dan"
Teague, with his one
good eye, is an allusion
to Polyphemus
– Like Polyphemus, Big
Dan becomes violent in
the film

12. • Cattle of the Sun God
• Poseidon
• Helios’ cattle, who Odysseus
and his crew kill and, as a
result, are killed by a
thunderbolt
• George Nelson shoots at a
herd of cattle and is sent to be
executed in the electric chair.
• The god of the sea; continually
puts barriers in front of
Odysseus to prevent his return
home
• The merciless sheriff is
analogous to the
god Poseidon, who torments
Odysseus and prolongs his
journey home.

13. • The Lotus Eaters
• Circe
– An island where the
eaters of the lotus
plant have no will, no
control
– Represented by the
congregation walking
trancelike to be
baptized.
– The witch-goddess
turns half of Odysseus’
crew into pigs
– Everett and Delmar
wake up to find Pete
missing; Delmar is
convinced Pete has
been transformed into
a frog.

14. • Disguise
• Triumphant Return
• Everett has to enter the dinner
party in disguise to avoid
detection. This parallels when
Odysseus had to enter his own
palace disguised as a beggar.
• While Odysseus strings his
bow and shoots its arrow
through the axe handles
• The Soggy Bottom Boys return
a musical sensation