Minotaur (film)
Encyclopedia
Minotaur is a 2006 horror film
, directed by Jonathan English. It stars Tom Hardy
, Tony Todd
, Ingrid Pitt
and Rutger Hauer. It was filmed in Luxembourg
.
to be a sacrifice to the Minotaur
, the Minoan
god. Theo, haunted by the loss of his love, Fion, in an earlier sacrifice, is convinced that the beast is not a deity and that his love still lives within the labyrinth. His father Cyrnan, the village leader, tries to reason with Theo not to go but Theo is driven by blind rage and made his way in with seven other youths to be sacrificial lambs. However, Theo intends to kill the Minotaur. Along with his fellow captives, Tyro, Danu, Vena, Morna, Didi, Ziko and Nan, they are placed in the labyrinth by King Deucalion, with the youths slaughtered one by one by the Minotaur. However, Theo is aided by Deucalion's sister, Queen Raphaella, who reveals that her mother gave herself to bestiality to create a living god, the Minotaur. As the Minotaur grows, so does its appetite when it murdered Deucalion's brother, resulting with the human sacrifices to appease the Minotaur while ensuring Minos's survival.
Theo, along the way, discovers the labyrinth is connected to an underground vent
and Tyro tempts the Minotaur to crash into one of the vents, but is unsuccessful, as the Minotaur eats him alive. Theo then tempts the Minotaur and in the process, the Minotaur breaks his left horn, but continues to charge after Theo. As Theo runs back towards the enlarged vent, he scratches the walls and generates a spark that ignites the whole labyrinth, and dives into a pond of water where Raphaella was waiting for him. They emerge from the water as the flames die out, but the beast is still alive and attempts to charge at them again. Theo takes the horn out of the rubble from where the vent was, and just as the beast attempts to kill him, stabs the Minotaur through the mouth and continues on charging until it hits a collapsed rock formation which impales the horn through the Minotaur's head and finally kills it. Once out, they find Deucalion near death from the explosions decimating the palace as Raphaella smothers him to death, ending the cycle of fantaism and starting a new age.
In the myth, the king was Minos himself (Deucalion was Minos' second son), who had been married to the queen who gave birth to the beast; this had been the consequence of a divine curse, while the gods play no part of import in the movie.
Theo, the protagonist of the film and based on Theseus
(a demi-god, rather than a humble shepherd), had no interest in killing the Minotaur at first. Furthermore, the name of king's sister in the film, is in fact Ariadne
in the legend, and Deucalion does not show any signs of wanting sexual relations with her in the original text. The daughter also gives Theseus a golden string to help him navigate the maze, as well as a sword to kill the Minotaur. Finally, at the end of the story Theseus is given the hand of Minos' daughter as a sign of goodwill and thanks for killing the beast.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, directed by Jonathan English. It stars Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy
Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the 2008 British film Bronson, the character of Eames in Inception, and the villain Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis...
, Tony Todd
Tony Todd
Anthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
, Ingrid Pitt
Ingrid Pitt
Ingrid Pitt was an actress best known for her work in horror films of the 1960s and 1970s.-Background:Pitt was born Ingoushka Petrov in Warsaw, Poland to a German father of Russian descent and a Polish Jewish mother. During World War II she and her family were imprisoned in a concentration camp...
and Rutger Hauer. It was filmed in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
.
Plot
Long ago in the Iron Age a shadow loomed over the lonely village of Thena. For every three years, eight village youths are stolen from their families to the capital of the Minos Empire and placed in the underground labyrinthLabyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
to be a sacrifice to the Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
, the Minoan
Minoan
Minoan may refer to the following:*The Minoan civilization**The Eteocretan language**The script known as Linear A**Minoan pottery*Minoa, name of several bronze-age settlements in the Aegean....
god. Theo, haunted by the loss of his love, Fion, in an earlier sacrifice, is convinced that the beast is not a deity and that his love still lives within the labyrinth. His father Cyrnan, the village leader, tries to reason with Theo not to go but Theo is driven by blind rage and made his way in with seven other youths to be sacrificial lambs. However, Theo intends to kill the Minotaur. Along with his fellow captives, Tyro, Danu, Vena, Morna, Didi, Ziko and Nan, they are placed in the labyrinth by King Deucalion, with the youths slaughtered one by one by the Minotaur. However, Theo is aided by Deucalion's sister, Queen Raphaella, who reveals that her mother gave herself to bestiality to create a living god, the Minotaur. As the Minotaur grows, so does its appetite when it murdered Deucalion's brother, resulting with the human sacrifices to appease the Minotaur while ensuring Minos's survival.
Theo, along the way, discovers the labyrinth is connected to an underground vent
Vent
Vent may refer to:*Vent , a slit up the back of a jacket or coat*Vent , a valve fitted to the top of a submarine's ballast tanks*Vent , a 2001 album by Caliban...
and Tyro tempts the Minotaur to crash into one of the vents, but is unsuccessful, as the Minotaur eats him alive. Theo then tempts the Minotaur and in the process, the Minotaur breaks his left horn, but continues to charge after Theo. As Theo runs back towards the enlarged vent, he scratches the walls and generates a spark that ignites the whole labyrinth, and dives into a pond of water where Raphaella was waiting for him. They emerge from the water as the flames die out, but the beast is still alive and attempts to charge at them again. Theo takes the horn out of the rubble from where the vent was, and just as the beast attempts to kill him, stabs the Minotaur through the mouth and continues on charging until it hits a collapsed rock formation which impales the horn through the Minotaur's head and finally kills it. Once out, they find Deucalion near death from the explosions decimating the palace as Raphaella smothers him to death, ending the cycle of fantaism and starting a new age.
Cast
- Tom HardyTom HardyEdward Thomas "Tom" Hardy is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the 2008 British film Bronson, the character of Eames in Inception, and the villain Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis...
... TheoTheseusFor other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were... - Michelle Van Der Water ... Queen RaphaellaAriadneAriadne , in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and was the bride of the god Dionysus.-Minos and Theseus:...
- Tony ToddTony ToddAnthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
... King Deucalion - Lex ShrapnelLex Shrapnel-Early life:Shrapnel was born in London, the son of Francesca Ann and actor John Shrapnel. He is the brother of actor/producer Tom Shrapnel and writer Joe Shrapnel and the grandson of Academy Award-nominated Scottish actress Deborah Kerr...
... Tyro - Jonathan Readwin ... Danu
- Rutger Hauer ... CyrnanAegeusIn Greek mythology, Aegeus , also Aigeus, Aegeas or Aigeas , was an archaic figure in the founding myth of Athens. The "goat-man" who gave his name to the Aegean Sea was, next to Poseidon, the father of Theseus, the founder of Athenian institutions and one of the kings of Athens.-His reign:Upon the...
- Maimie McCoyMaimie McCoyMaimie McCoy is an English actress. She is known for portraying Nicole Palmerston-Amory in Personal Affairs.-Background:McCoy was born in Yorkshire, where she attended Stokesley School. She studied Performing Arts at London Metropolitan University, graduating with a BA in 2001.McCoy is the...
... Morna - Lucy BrownLucy BrownLucy Brown is an English actress best known for dual roles in the TV series Primeval.-Early life:Lucy Brown was born in Crawley, Sussex, but grew up in Cambridgeshire. She is the daughter of Christopher Brown and Helen Burleigh and has a younger brother named Mark...
... Didi - James BradshawJames Bradshaw (actor)James Bradshaw, born 20 March 1976 in Stamford, Lincolnshire in England, is a British actor best known for playing Gordon Grimley in the popular Granada TV series The Grimleys, which ran for three series from 1999...
... Ziko - Fiona Maclaine ... Vena
- Claire Murphy ... Nan
- Ingrid PittIngrid PittIngrid Pitt was an actress best known for her work in horror films of the 1960s and 1970s.-Background:Pitt was born Ingoushka Petrov in Warsaw, Poland to a German father of Russian descent and a Polish Jewish mother. During World War II she and her family were imprisoned in a concentration camp...
... The Sybil
Deviations from Classical mythology
There are several major changes that were made in this story as opposed to the original legend.In the myth, the king was Minos himself (Deucalion was Minos' second son), who had been married to the queen who gave birth to the beast; this had been the consequence of a divine curse, while the gods play no part of import in the movie.
Theo, the protagonist of the film and based on Theseus
Theseus
For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
(a demi-god, rather than a humble shepherd), had no interest in killing the Minotaur at first. Furthermore, the name of king's sister in the film, is in fact Ariadne
Ariadne
Ariadne , in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and was the bride of the god Dionysus.-Minos and Theseus:...
in the legend, and Deucalion does not show any signs of wanting sexual relations with her in the original text. The daughter also gives Theseus a golden string to help him navigate the maze, as well as a sword to kill the Minotaur. Finally, at the end of the story Theseus is given the hand of Minos' daughter as a sign of goodwill and thanks for killing the beast.
See also
- List of historical drama films
- MinosMinosIn Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every year he made King Aegeus pick seven men and seven women to go to Daedalus' creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by The Minotaur. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan civilization of Crete...
- TheseusTheseusFor other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
- MinotaurMinotaurIn Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
- Minoan civilizationMinoan civilizationThe Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
- Bronze AgeBronze AgeThe Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
- KnossosKnossosKnossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
- Greek mythology in popular cultureGreek mythology in popular cultureElements of Greek mythology have appeared many times in popular culture. These elements include the gods of varying stature, humans, demigods, titans, giants, monsters, nymphs, and famed locations. Their use can range from a brief allusion to the use of the actual Greek character as a character...