- A Comparison between The Coen Brothers' O Brother Where Art Thou? and Homer's Odyssey.
             The Coen Brothers' O Brother Where Art Thou?, loosely based on Homer's Odyssey, is the story of three chain gang escapees and their exploits in depression-era Mississippi. The movie not only presents an adapted retelling of Homer's Odyssey in terms of plot and character development, but also mirrors some of the major themes and structure of the original work. Similarities between the movie and Homer's work are both obvious and implied, whereas differences can often be attributed to the modernizing of the classical work. An analysis of O Brother Where Art Thou?, contrasting and comparing the movie with the epic upon which it is based, is an intriguing endeavor. This analysis will focus upon structure, plot, characters and themes of both works, with the underlying supposition that portions of the movie are based upon a modernizing of the ancient tale.
             A concise retelling of the movie begins with the escaping of the three chain gang members. Ulysses Everett Mcgill (George Clooney), Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson ), are joined to the same chain, and escape in the hopes of recovering previously buried treasure, consisting of 1.2 million dollars from a previous armed car robbery. Ulysses, we later learn, has been imprisoned for six years, and has recently received word that his divorced wife Penny will be remarrying in four days. Ulysses convinces his two companions that the treasure will be forever buried in four days as the valley where it is hidden will flooded by a hydro-electric company. The movie recountsthis search for treasure and the seemingly random and unconnected exploits the journey entails.
             Following their escape, the trio find their way to the home of Washingon Hogwallup - a cousin of Pete. There they feast on horse stew and are clothed, but are then sold out by Hogwallup to Sheriff Cooley, who is searching for the...