Classics and FIlm

This article seeks to demonstrate the underlying ideological similarities between President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Depression-era political rhetoric and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s Captains Courageous (1937), an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s 1897 novel of the same title. Rather than claim a simple causal relationship between FDR’s oratorical calls for socio-economic reform and M-G-M’s cinematic tale of cooperative teamwork in the face of adversity, the authors make the more modest assertion that the president’s mid-1930s discourse is echoed in, and mediated by, director Victor Fleming’s contemporaneous production. The film, which on the surface displays the hallmarks of a conservative cultural production, actually functions as a pro-collectivist, pro-New Deal message about the perils of dishonest, unbridled competition. In addition, Captains Courageous is suffused with audiovisual signifiers that are unexpectedly in tune with the sound design and mise-en-scene of ‘social realist’ films of the period. In making their case, the authors not only provide a reading of Captains Courageous that goes against conventional wisdom, but also pose a critical intervention in the traditional historiography of Depression-era film production, which has often neglected to account for this and other (admittedly anomalous) instances of pro-Roosevelt sentiments issuing forth from a studio that famously supported the Republican Party.

Érase una vez…la Antigüedad es un congreso relacionado con los nuevos enfoques en la investigación del Mundo Antiguo. En la actualidad no solo existen trabajos canónicos sobre Historia,  Arte,  Arqueología o Filología sino que se ha ampliado el marco de estudio hacia lo que llamamos Recepción o Legado de la Antigüedad. A raíz de esta preocupación, surgen trabajos sobre las preconcepciones del mundo Antiguo a lo largo de la Historia hasta nuestros días. Las novelas históricas, los anuncios de colonias y alimentación ambientados en un Hélade tan inverosímil como atemporal  o el  péplum han sido objeto de congresos específicos.

El congreso Érase una vez…la Antigüedad está centrado en ese legado cultural con interés específico en las producciones audiovisuales destinadas a la infancia. A través de esas primeras imágenes que todos hemos visto se forja una idea visual de la Antigüedad, una disposición del panteón olímpico y, en definitiva, una manera de entender la vida cotidiana de las personas que vivieron hace miles de años.

Como investigadores, comprendemos la complejidad de las sociedades antiguas, los problemas que conllevan y lo difícil que es acercarnos a ella dejando atrás la problemática propia de nuestra época y, sobre todo, reformar esa visión preconcebida de la Antigüedad.

El objetivo principal de este congreso es estudiar este fenómeno desde el punto de vista del cine y las series de animación o con actores reales, destinadas a un público infantil o juvenil. Desde las películas de Disney a las series televisivas infantiles y a los fenómenos de masas tipo Harry Potter, en este congreso se da cabida a todas las producciones con calificación “para todos los públicos” que son nuestra escuela de Historia Antigua. Se tendrán en cuenta todo tipo de propuestas relacionadas con el tema, tanto si tratan una obra en común o un aspecto trasversal presente en varias películas o series.

El congreso se estructurará en torno a presentaciones organizadas en ponencias y debates. Cada intervención constará de 15 minutos con una ronda de preguntas al final de cada sesión. El encuentro tendrá lugar el viernes 13 de Enero de 2017 en el Salón de Grados de la Facultad de Geografía e Historia de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Para participar se requiere el envío de un  título junto con un abstract de 200-300 palabras a la dirección de correo [email protected] antes del 4 de Diciembre de 2016. Posteriormente, las propuestas serán valoradas por el comité organizador que se pondrá en contacto con los seleccionados y publicará el programa el 11 de Diciembre. Toda la información estará disponible en la web.

Del mismo modo, los alumnos interesados en participar como oyentes y que asistan a un mínimo del 80% de las sesiones recibirán un certificado. La organización no puede ofrecer bolsas de viaje ni ningún tipo de financiación para los ponentes, pero la participación o asistencia en el evento no conlleva ningún coste.
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Comité organizador:
Irene Cisneros Abellán (U. de Zaragoza)
M. Cristina de la EscosuraBalbás (U. Complutense de Madrid)
Elena Duce Pastor (U. Autónoma de Madrid)
María del Mar Rodríguez Alcocer (U. Complutense de Madrid)
David Serrano Lozano (U. Complutense de Madrid)
Nerea TarancónHuarte (U. Complutense de Madrid)

Once upon a time… the Antiquity is a congress focused on new approaching to ancient world researching. Nowadays not only traditional academic works on History, Arts, Archaeology or Philology are being carried out, but this frame of study has been expanded to the so called classic reception studies. Consequently, new studies on preconceptions about ancient world throughout history up to the present day emerge. Historical novels, perfume’s or food advertisements set in a Hellas as unlikely as timeless, or peplums have been subject of specialized congresses.
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Once upon a time… the Antiquity congress focuses on this cultural heritage with specific interest in media productions for children. Through this very first image, with which we have all grown up, they are shaped a visual concept of Antiquity, an arrangement of Olympic pantheon and, ultimately, a way of understanding daily life of people thousands of years ago.
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As researchers, we understand the complexity of ancient societies, the problems implied in approaching to them getting over our own time’s problems and, above all, reform this preconceived vision of Antiquity. The main objective of this congress is approaching this phenomenon through cinema and serials, both animated and with real actors, biased to a childish or young audience. From Disney movies to child serials and mass phenomena such as Harry Potter, this congress includes every production suitable for all audiences, which constitute our first ancient history school. Every proposal related with this topic, whether dealing with a specific production or a transversal aspect in different movies or serials.
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The congress is divided in three main sessions, divided in papers and debates. Presentations will be 15 minutes in length with time for discussion after each session. The congress will take place on Friday January 13, 2017, in the Aula de Grados of the Facultad de Geografía e Historia of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
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In order to participate, it s required to send a 200-300 words abstract to the congress e-mail address, [email protected], up to December 4, 2016. Proposals will be assessed by the organizing committee, and those selected will be informed by December, 11, 2016. All the information is available in the congress website.
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Likewise, every student interested in attending the congress will receive a certificate of assistance if they attend the 80% of sessions at least. Organizing committee cannot offer travel or any other kind of grants for participants, but participation is totally free.
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Organizing committee:
Irene Cisneros Abellán (U. of Zaragoza)
M. Cristina de la Escosura Balbás (Complutense U. of Madrid)
Elena Duce Pastor (Autonoma U. of Madrid)
María del Mar Rodríguez Alcocer (Complutense U. of Madrid)
David Serrano Lozano (Complutense U. of Madrid)
Nerea Tarancón Huarte(Complutense U. of Madrid)

Framing Classical Reception Studies contains a representative number of analytic and synthetic contributions by scholars from diverse parts of the field of Classical Reception Studies. Together, they afford a synoptic view and typology of an extremely large and continuously diversifying discipline. Attentive to questions such as what, by whom, in what contexts and to what ends Classics have functioned and are functioning in our culture, all contributors ask themselves from what conceptual or disciplinary frame they approach the reception of the cultures of classical Greek and Roman antiquity. Within this questioning format, the book also contains suggestions for future agendas of research, and forcefully argues for the political, cultural and cognitive relevance of classical receptions in the Academy.