In the pantheon of classic sword-and-sandal epics, Clash of the Titans (1981) is among the best of them. It might now appear pretty dated, but it’s a timeless tale that still powerfully resonates as it did when it first hit theaters over four decades ago.
As part of that, its stop-motion depiction of the monstrous Medusa (yes, that’s her above) with all of her head’s withering snakes scared more than a few in the cinemas upon its release, including the writer of this post, who was then 11 or 12 years of age.
Yep, kids, I’m now old, but the film’s special effects—groundbreaking for their time—stayed with me. Stop-motion animation has a certain poetic beauty, even if it is giant scorpions or Medusa.
Ray Harryhausen, one of the most revered and influential special effects artists in film history, was responsible for Clash of the Titans‘ stop-motion animation, which brought a wide range of creatures and monsters to life, that also included the towering Kraken and the winged horse Pegasus.
You can watch Harryhausen talk about how he created Medusa in the video above. Just press the top left play button on the above feature image so the video can pop up for you.
Greek Mythology
But much of the film’s magic also lies in its storytelling, which draws deeply from the rich tapestry of Greek mythology to create a world that is both familiar and fantastical.
The characters are vividly drawn, with performances from Harry Hamlin as the valiant Perseus, Judi Bowker as the ethereal Andromeda, and Laurence Olivier as the imperious Zeus. (Several well-known actors, including Christopher Lee and Peter Ustinov, were considered for the role of Zeus before it ultimately went to Olivier.)
At the heart of this tale lies the story of Perseus, the demigod son of Zeus, who must embark on a perilous quest to save the city of Joppa and win the heart of the beautiful princess Andromeda. To accomplish this Herculean task, Perseus must navigate a treacherous landscape filled with monstrous beasts, including the already mentioned Medusa and the colossal Kraken.
Yet despite its epic scope and grandiose ambitions, Clash of the Titans never loses sight of the human drama at its core.
It’s a story about love, courage, and the triumph of the human spirit over seemingly insurmountable odds as gods watch over it all.
While Clash of the Titans draws heavily from Greek mythology, it takes several liberties with the source material to suit its cinematic purposes. Some of the most notable differences include:
- Perseus’ origin: In the film, Perseus is portrayed as the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, while in the original myth, he is the son of Zeus and the mortal princess Danae.
- The role of Andromeda: In the myth, Andromeda is a princess who is sacrificed to a sea monster as punishment for her mother’s arrogance. In the film, Andromeda is a love interest for Perseus, and her sacrifice is portrayed as a heroic act to save her city from the Kraken.
- The inclusion of certain monsters: While many of the film’s monsters, such as the Medusa and the Kraken, are based on Greek myth, others, such as the giant scorpions and the two-headed dog, were created specifically for the film.
Despite the film’s epicness, it was shot on a relatively small set in Pinewood Studios in England, with many of the outdoor scenes filmed on location in Spain.
As for the Kraken (pictured above), which serves as the film’s final villain, it was originally intended to appear earlier in the movie but was moved to the climax at the studio’s insistence.
Clash of the Titans was a commercial success upon its release in 1981, grossing over $41 million at the North American box office and an additional $38 million internationally. This made it the 11th highest-grossing film of the year in the United States and Canada, and it remains somewhat of a cult classic.