Jason and the Argonauts Analysis Jay Smith S0045090

Intro In this analysis I will be critically analysing the film Jason and the Argonauts. I will be analysing and discussing the fundamental principles of the animations in this film, how they have created it, what technology was involved in creating this film, also the history within the film. Jason and the Argonauts is a 1963 fantasy film disturbed by Columbia Pictures, directed by Don Chaffey and is an collaboration with stop motion animation with the help of expert Ray Harryhausen., Jason and the Argonauts primarily focuses on Jason the legendary Greek hero who leads a team in a quest to find the Golden Fleece. The film follows Jason and his adventure to find the golden fleece and within that adventure he must overcome anything that comes in his way so within this quest Jason and his team will have to fight through many enemies before they can reach the fleece. Jason and the Argonauts is one of them films with classic scenes after classic scene that never leaves your mind Don Chaffey wanted to take the real Greek mythology history and emphasis the god like nature and turn it into somewhat of a fantasy film. In such of a time were Greeks believed in gods summoning to earth. This then would appeal to a whole new type of generation who would appreciate the god like fantasy and overall the stop motion. History within the film The Greek tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece has been told for 3,000 years. It's a classic hero's quest tale. The story is a set a generation before the time of the Trojan War, around 1300 BC, but the first known written mention of it comes six centuries later, in the age of Homer (800 BC). The tale came out of the region of Thessaly, in Greece, where early epic poetry developed. The Greeks have retold and reinterpreted it many times since, changing it as their knowledge of the physical world increased. No one knows for sure where the earliest poets set the adventure, but by 700 BC the poet Eumelos set the tale of the Golden Fleece in the kingdom of Aia, a land that at the time was thought to be at the eastern edge of the world. At this point the Jason story becomes fixed as an expedition to the Black Sea. The most famous version, penned by Apollonius of Rhodes, who was head of the library at Alexandria, was composed in the third century BC, after the invasion of Asia by Alexander the Great.

Jason and the Argonauts Analysis Jay Smith S0045090 Special effects Bring it to life The stop motion animation effects in this film were signally done by Ray Harryhausen, one of the great pioneers of stop motion animation. Stop motion animation is the manipulation of animated models to create the illusion of movement. Especially in this film the figures are interacting with live action on screen, this kind of technique is called dynamation

The key element to bringing the figures and the actors to interact with one another is by using a technique called the Rear Projection Effect this type of technique is mainly combining foreground performances with pre-filmed scenes. To doing this technique the actors first will stand in front of a screen while the projector is positioned correctly behind them, so when interacting with the scene in the background would be timed perfectly so it gives one smooth motion. One of the visual elements that is unique in Jason and the Argonauts is the introduction of dynamation. The main reason why this film is considered a classic is because of the special effects that are done with the tiny models of Rays monsters it really does put the wow and enjoyment into this film. With

Jason and his shipmates battling against a giant bronze statue of the Talos), a couple of harpies, the many headed Hydra and one of the most famous sequences in cinema history , the skeleton warriors grown from the Hydra's scattered teeth. Even in these days of super advanced computer graphics, the work that has gone into this film is still very impressive to this very day. But is it just because of the great effects in this film to go and actually watch this film, no its not, this film provides us with a fantastic adventure story with its interpretation of the Greek mythology. Looking back even watching as a kid I was amazed how brilliant this film was with its fairy tale, fantasy genre even the smoothness of the animation, even watching it now it still does amaze me. The film on its own is a truly outstanding piece of work, the special effect in this movie are the main core to this film, now looking back at the film I know the effects look out dated but back in the day this type of effects was the thing, ok now a days a computer could easily do that special effect and more better, but thats one thing that makes this film outstanding is that they shot filmed the models then added with then actors on screen and thats what I find truly amazing by this film.

Jason and the Argonauts Analysis Jay Smith S0045090

Here begins the first amazing scene in the movie, the moment were the ginormous oversized bronze statue of Talos enters the film. Despite this film being over 4o years old the look of the stop motion looks amazing and works very well, the jerky stop-motion movement and the creaking sounds effects that are heard on the films soundtracks add to the illusion that giant statue has actually come to life. Now this sequence is nothing more than a masterpiece and its helped largely by the music in the background, just because of the shear reason that it boosts up the anticipation, fear, tension and most of the entire atmosphere.

Rise up, you dead, slain of the hydra. Rise from your graves and avenge us. Those who steal the Golden Fleece must die. Quote taking out of the most remembered/classic scene in the film, the scene were Jason and his few companions must fight an army of skeletons. This scene really stood out the most just because of the fact that I found this very exhilarating to watch and the tension that it gave to me watching it, and to top it off the choreography was just amazing how the actors really engaged with the animation and the animation with the actors. Arcading to Ray Harryhausen it took him and I quite four mouths to produce this scene, it took a massive amount of time and patients to create this most amazing scene, and which only lasted 3 minutes of the film. Ok I could really talk for ever how fantastic the animation is in this film is but I think Ive already covert the basics of, how great the stop motion is and explained two of my favourite sequences in the film.

Jason and the Argonauts Analysis Jay Smith S0045090

The colours in this film are in what different in certain part of the film, as in when you the animation on screen they are very bland, doesnt have that much of colours this could mean evil as in the colours are dark and dingy, but as in scenes were the gods appear and the wealthy the colours are very bright and rich this could be symbolise power. The clothing in this film are very unique, elegant to portray a time when cloths were homemade, the cloths consisted of a garment or blanket.

The gods wore luxury garments that had gold pattern on them, the garment is in white to signify purity, god like, and as for the gold pattern it could mean royalty as its in gold and when you think gold you think wealthy and gold is the meaning of faith, healing and blessing, has come across very well, because when you think of god like you imagine bright, shinning and power.

As for Jasons armour its very simple, he only wears the chest piece and wrist protection bands, and then underneath the armour a white garment, the armour its self is in the colour of black that in this case means justice, why justice because in this whole quest of Jason he is bringing the act of determination of right to the enemies and punishing them. As for the gold pattern in the armour it has the same meaning as I gave for the clothing on the gods garments faith, healing and blessing.

History file:///F:/Year%20One/Semester%202/Animation/Analysis/Jason%20and%20the%20Argonauts/BBC %20-%20History%20%20Ancient%20History%20in%20depth%20%20Jason%20and%20the%20Golden%20Fleece.htm