The Odyssey and O' Brother Where Art Thou... (1 Viewer)

[JonZ]

Robert,I think I migh have confused you,I meant the Lebowski
character in Big Lebowski being a homage or influenced by Mr Potter-wheelchair and all, not a character in O Brother....
------------------
Visit My Pathetic WebPage
"....With that in mind,I humbly add my own prophecy of
what the dawn of the new millennium shall bring forth-
one thousand more years of the same old crap" -Jose Chung-

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

No one has yet mentioned the segment of the Odyssey where both Odysseus & Telemachus are banished by Poseiden from Woolworths.
Regards,
------------------
Ken McAlinden
Livonia, MI USA

 

[tommy_esq]

so do you think odesseus was a "fop" man?

 

[Henry Gale]

quote: Govenor Pappy O'Daniel's first name is Menaleus...[/quote]
I guess you meant the character in the movie.
The real Governor Wilbert Lee O'Daniel deserves a little mention here. Remember the scene in O Brother... when the Governor saw what a sensation the band was and ran up on stage to grab the mike, and the glory? Nothing could have better described W. Lee O'Daniel in a nutshell.
The man is reviled in Western Swing circles. He actually had soon to be legendary musicians working in his flour mill when they weren't playing music on his radio show. Then he denied them permission to play dances to earn extra money.
When these men, who where in the process of inventing some of the hottest jazz you've ever heard quit his employ and found new radio gigs, he promptly bought up their new stations, forcing them to leave the state.
I'm almost out of commas now, but you can understand why some of us spit when we say his name!
He wasn't even close to being a Texan, born in Ohio in 1890 he arrived in Ft. Worth in 1925.
But there is a Homer connection. In one of Pappy's more loathsome stunts, he got U.T. president Homer P. Rainey fired during a campaign to stifle academic freedom.

 

[Calvin Cullen]

This may be a bit off-topic, but I was struck by the spiritual symbolism of water in the movie.
The first time water makes a significant appearance is the revival scene where Pete and Delmer are baptized -- and are thereby absolved of their sins in "the eyes of God". Everett refuses to be saved, implies the power of God is inferior to the power of the state of Mississippi and mockingly dubs his gang the Soggy Bottom Boys.
The "Siren" scene takes place in a running stream. Pete lets his lust get the best of him and leads his friends into a dangerous situation. Though Everett (who had been responsible for the stealing and grifting that had gotten them to this point) and Delmer follow, Pete is the clear instigator. And he is duly punished for violating the spiritual covenant he made at the revival.
Later, Everett makes a concerted effort to rescue Pete from prison for no other reason than loyalty to a friend. The trio risk their lives to save Tommy for similar reasons. When Everett's leadership is questioned prior to the music hall scene, he claims his friends are against him -- just like God. Certainly the original Ullyses would have the right to curse the gods for his ordeal, but would a buffoonish con-man like Everett? He did have seven daughters to feed and they did have that there Depression on, so maybe practicing law without a license is excusable. It certainly didn't seem to warrant hard time on a chain gang.
The final water scene is the flood that saves the crew from the devil. (Satan renounces the "law" of Mississippi, the 'human institution' that he has hidden behind in his pursuit of Everett --there is rather obvious biblical symbolism in this act as well) Faced with imminent death, Everett begs God for mercy invoking the love for family that has driven him throughout his journey. At that moment the valley is flooded, and the resulting deluge overwhelms Everett -- who had earlier ridiculed baptism. The flood also washes away his demonic tormentors. But, in the Coen's final joke, it only exacerbates his earthly troubles.