From hero to superhero, from the "monster" to a celebrity. Disney’s Hercules on his way to pop culture Olimp Cover Image

Od herosa do superbohatera, od „potwora” do celebryty. Disnejowski Herkules w drodze na popkulturowy Olimp
From hero to superhero, from the "monster" to a celebrity. Disney’s Hercules on his way to pop culture Olimp

Author(s): Anna Mik
Subject(s): Studies of Literature, Sociology of Culture, Film / Cinema / Cinematography
Published by: Szkoła Wyższa Psychologii Społecznej
Keywords: superhero; pop culture; fairy-tale; movie;

Summary/Abstract: Hercules by Walt Disney is a fairy-tale type movie that retells well-known Greek myth about Heracles, ancient Greek hero. In this paper I try to analyze the title character in order to prove that he is a mono mythical realization of the contemporary superhero, with its main features, like: „the otherness”, being a celebrity and a potential lover. The movie also provides the actualization of a myth with its new American conservative values. However, many suggestions in it imply creating a distance between this new production and the classical Disney’s animations, like Snow White. Hercules also comments on the popular culture itself and reminds the viewers what does it mean to be.

  • Issue Year: 49/2016
  • Issue No: 03
  • Page Range: 14-23
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: Polish