Homer & The Coen Brothers

Homer - Often regarded as the greatest ancient Greek epic poets and is attributed to the writing of the Iliad and the Odyssey.  The latter of which revolves around the journey of Odysseus back home after the events of the Trojan War. Both of Homers works are acknowledged as the oldest extant pieces of Western Literature and therefore form the basis of the Western canon.

The Coen Brothers - Born to Jewish Americans both Joel and Ethan Coen have made a name for themselves by creating often quirky and dark films to levels of great success. Commonly known as the creators of such films as No Country for Old Men and the cult classic The Big Lebowski. Their 2000 release titled 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' is a film set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression. The story revolves around the journey of three escaped convicts as they search for supposed treasure buried in a valley which is to be turned into a man made lake. The story is a satire which is a re-imagining of  Homer's Odyssey. This blog will discuss the resounding similiarities and parallels between both texts with a hopeful humorous spin.