| Clash of the Titans | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster by theBrothers Hildebrandt | |
| Directed by | Desmond Davis |
| Written by | Beverley Cross |
| Based on | Perseus |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ted Moore |
| Edited by | Timothy Gee |
| Music by | Laurence Rosenthal |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 118 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $9 million[2]–15 million[3][4] |
| Box office | $70 million[5] |
Clash of the Titans is a 1981epicfantasyadventure film directed byDesmond Davis and written byBeverley Cross, loosely based on theGreek myth ofPerseus. StarringHarry Hamlin,Judi Bowker,Burgess Meredith,Maggie Smith andLaurence Olivier, the film features the final work ofstop-motionvisual effects artistRay Harryhausen, who also co-produced the film alongsideCharles H. Schneer.
An internationalco-production between the United States and United Kingdom,Clash of the Titans was theatrically released on June 12, 1981, and grossed $41 million at the North American box office,[6] making it the eleventh-highest grossing film of the year.[7] Anovelization byAlan Dean Foster was also published in 1981. A3Dremake of the same name was released byWarner Bros. on April 2, 2010.[8][9]
KingAcrisius ofArgos imprisons his daughterDanaë, jealous of her beauty. When the godZeus impregnates Danaë, Acrisius banishes her and her newborn sonPerseus to sea in a wooden chest. In retribution, Zeus kills Acrisius and ordersPoseidon to release the last of theTitans, a giganticsea monster called theKraken, to destroy Argos. Danaë and Perseus safely float to the island ofSeriphos, where Perseus grows to adulthood.
Calibos, the malevolent son of the treacherous sea goddessThetis, is betrothed to PrincessAndromeda, daughter of QueenCassiopeia ofJoppa; but for committing several atrocities, including destroying Zeus' sacred flying horses (except forPegasus), Calibos is transformed into a deformed monster to fit the ugliness of his evil heart.
In revenge, Thetis transports an adult Perseus to an abandoned amphitheater in Joppa, where he befriends a soldier, Thallo, and an elderly poet named Ammon. Perseus learns that Andromeda is under a curse and cannot marry unless her suitor successfully answers a riddle concocted by Calibos. Zeus sends Perseus a god-crafted helmet which is fromAthena which makes its wearer invisible, a magical sword which is fromAphrodite, and a shield which is fromHera. After capturing Pegasus, Perseus follows Calibos's giant vulture carrying off Andromeda's spirit during her sleep to learn the next riddle. Perseus is discovered and nearly killed by Calibos. In the ensuing fight, Calibos loses his left hand, and Perseus loses his helmet.
The next morning, Perseus presents himself as a suitor and correctly answers the riddle—the answer is the ring given to Calibos by his mother which is still attached to the amputated hand—winning Andromeda's hand in marriage. Finding out that Thetis cannot act directly against Perseus, Calibos instead demands that she take vengeance on Joppa by unleashing the Kraken upon it.
At the wedding in Thetis' temple, Cassiopeia declares that Andromeda's beauty is greater than Thetis'. Thetis, using the statue's head to speak through, declares that Cassiopeia will pay for her boasting and for the injury inflicted on Calibos and demands that Andromeda will be sacrificed to the Kraken on pain of Joppa's destruction.
Perseus seeks a way to defeat the Kraken. However, Pegasus is captured by Calibos and his men. Zeus commands Athena to give Perseus herowl Bubo, but she refuses. Instead, she ordersHephaestus to build a mechanical replica that leads Perseus, Andromeda, Ammon, Thallo, and some soldiers to theStygian Witches. By taking their magic eye, Perseus forces them to reveal that the only way to defeat the Kraken is by using the head of theGorgonMedusa, whose gaze can turn any living thing into stone. Medusa lives on an island in theRiver Styx at the edge of theUnderworld. The next day, Perseus and the soldiers continue on their journey while Andromeda and Ammon return to Joppa. Thallo stays behind, but gives Perseus a coin as a fee for the skeletal ferryman,Charon.
On the Gorgon's island, the three soldiers traveling with Perseus are killed. Perseus fights and kills Medusa's guardian, a two-headed dog named Dioskilos. At the Gorgon's lair, Perseus uses the reflective underside of his shield to deceive Medusa, decapitate her, and collect her head. However, Perseus's shield is dissolved by her caustic blood. As Perseus and his fellow soldiers set to return, Calibos enters their camp and punctures the cloak carrying Medusa's head, causing her blood to spill and produce three giant scorpions, which attack the soldiers. One soldier is killed by a scorpion, but Perseus and Thallo kill all three scorpions. Thallo is then killed by Calibos, who attacks Perseus with his whip, but Perseus manages to overcome and kill him.
Alone and weakened by his struggle, Perseus sends Bubo to rescue Pegasus from Calibos' henchmen. After reaching the amphitheater in Joppa, Perseus collapses from exhaustion. Andromeda is shackled to the sacrificial rock outside Joppa, and the Kraken is summoned. Bubo distracts the beast until Perseus, whose strength was secretly restored by Zeus, appears on Pegasus. Using Medusa's head, Perseus petrifies the Kraken, causing it to crumble to pieces. Perseus tosses the head into the sea, frees and marries Andromeda.
The gods predict that Perseus and Andromeda will live happily, rule wisely, and produce children, and Zeus forbids the other gods to pursue vengeance against them. Theconstellations ofPerseus,Andromeda,Pegasus andCassiopeia are created in their honor.
The film was the idea of writerBeverley Cross.[10] In 1978, Andor Films submitted a copy of the script to theBritish Board of Film Classification, seeking advice on how to secure either a"U" or an "A" certificate. The draft script included scenes that the BBFC considered would be unacceptable under those certificates, including the Kraken tearing Pegasus to pieces and Andromeda appearing naked during the climax of the film. Changes to the script and, on submission, some cuts to Perseus's final battle with Calibos were made and the film secured the "A" certificate: "Those aged 5 and older admitted, but not recommended for children under 14 years of age".[11]
Columbia Pictures were initially set to distribute the film having made most of Harryhausen and producerCharles H. Schneer's films, but after a change of guard at the studio, they dropped the project during pre-production, saying it was too expensive. Schneer took it to Orion Pictures who insisted onArnold Schwarzenegger playing the lead but the producer refused as the role involved too much dialogue. He then triedMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer who agreed to finance. "They loved the material, they loved the picture, and they were wonderful to us," said Schneer. "As I put the film together and the castings came up, they approved the additional castings and added that expense to the budget."[12]
The characters of Calibos and Bubo the mechanical owl were not derived from Greek mythology, and were instead original creations for the film.[13][14] One character, however, was originally named, and was based onOrthrus, the two-headed dog from Greek mythology, but changed to Dioskilos instead.
In a 2025 interview, Harry Hamlin stated that he threatened to leave the production when producers insisted that the scene where Perseus cuts off Medusa's head be rewritten. Producers feared the violence of the scene would garner the film an X rating in the UK. Hamlin protested the changes, as the scene was central to the story, both in the mythology of Perseus and in the film. Producers relented and the scene was filmed as originally written.[15]
Ray Harryhausen usedstop-motion animation to create the various creatures in the film, including Calibos, his vulture,Pegasus, Bubo the mechanicalowl, Dioskilos,Medusa, the scorpions and theKraken.[16] Stephen R. Wilk wrote that though the film's story "sticks closer to its sources than any other interpretation", one of the creative liberties taken is Medusa's biology, which differs from "any previous representations, ancient or modern", with the lower body of a snake rather than legs (seeLamia).[17] Harryhausen's Medusa has been called "one of the most recognizable characters in model-animation cinema history."[18] Two identical models of Bubo the mechanical owl were made: one that contained remote controlled motors that allowed it to move when handled by the actor, and a stop-motion model because the movements of the live action model were more limited.[16]Roger Ebert calledClash of the Titans Harryhausen's "masterwork".[19] Harryhausen was also co-producer of the film, and retired from film-making shortly after it was released.
Despite Bubo's similarities to thedroidR2-D2 of the 1977 filmStar Wars, Harryhausen claimed Bubo was created beforeStar Wars was released.[20] The BBFC, reviewing the film for certification in 1981, said Harryhausen's effects were well done and would give entertainment to audiences of all ages, but might appear a little "old hat" to those familiar withStar Wars andSuperman.[11] The stop-motiontroglodyte figurine used inSinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) was cannibalized to make Calibos.[21] The stop-motion Ymir template used in20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) was also recycled to make the Kraken.
Schneer deliberately sought better known actors to play the Gods to improve the film's chances at the box office. "If we had played this picture with no recognised actors it might be assumed to be what it isn't. It might suffer the fate of an Italian Western."[4] The scenes involving the Gods only took eight days. Claire Bloom said she only agreed to make it "because I was told Olivier was doing it and it only lasts a week."[4]
MGM overruled Schneer's choice ofJohn Gielgud to portray the playwright Ammon, and asked forBurgess Meredith to be cast instead. "I saw the sense in that," said Schneer. "They preferred an American actor. They didn't want the public to think it was totally an English picture."[12]
Schneer chose Desmond Davis as director in part because Davis had made several BBC Shakespeare films and he wanted someone with experience dealing with Shakespearean actors.[12]
StarsHarry Hamlin andUrsula Andress were romantically involved at the time of production. Their son, Dimitri, was born in 1980 after filming was completed, and their relationship ended in 1983.
Jack Gwillim, who appeared asPoseidon, had earlier played the role of KingAeëtes in the originalJason and the Argonauts in 1963.
The film's screenwriter,Beverley Cross, was married toMaggie Smith, who played Thetis, until his death in 1998. Cross worked with producer Charles H. Schneer before, writing the screenplay for Schneer's production ofJason and the Argonauts.
The film was shot at theAlbert R. Broccoli 007 Stage atPinewood Studios, United Kingdom, with locations includingCornwall, UK, andPaestum, Italy.
Clash of the Titans was released on June 12, 1981 and grossed $6,565,347 from 1,127 theaters in its opening weekend, second behindRaiders of the Lost Ark at the U.S. box office, which was released on the same date.[22][23] By the time it finished its theatrical run, it had grossed $41 million in North America.[24] The film had a worldwide gross of over $70 million and was one of 1981's biggest hits.[5]
Onreview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 63% based on 49 reviews, and an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A goofy, old-school sword-and-sandal epic,Clash of the Titans mines Greek mythology for its story and fleshes it out with Ray Harryhausen's charmingly archaic stop-motion animation techniques."[25]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[26]
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film three and a half out of four stars and called it "a grand and glorious romantic adventure, filled with brave heroes, beautiful heroines, fearsome monsters, and awe-inspiring duels to the death. It is a lot of fun."[19]Gene Siskel of theChicago Tribune also gave the film three and a half stars out of four and called it "a special effects spectacular that succeeds brilliantly as an old-fashioned adventure film based on the legends of Greek mythology."[27]Variety called it "an unbearable bore of a film that will probably put to sleep the few adults stuck taking the kids to it. This mythical tale of Perseus, son of Zeus, and his quest for the 'fair' Andromeda, is mired in a slew of corny dialog and an endless array of flat, outdated special effects that are both a throwback to a bad 1950s picture."[28]Vincent Canby ofThe New York Times wrote, "Though not very witty, the adventures are many and involve a lot of Mr. Harryhausen's specialities," though he thought the monsters were "less convincing than interesting."[29]Kevin Thomas of theLos Angeles Times stated that the film "has charm, it has imagination, but it is also too often stodgy. It is an instance of the whole not being nearly as good as its parts. However, Harryhausen's contributions do delight, and this may be more than enough for his ardent admirers and most youngsters."[30] Gary Arnold ofThe Washington Post wrote that Hamlin was "always a magnetic presence" but the film's appeal was "quaint and stilted."[31] Geoff Brown ofThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote that the film "unfortunately fails to shake much dust off the genre ... Despite the producers' protracted labours, there's a real possibility that some audiences will be turned to stone before Medusa shows up."[32]Time stated "The real titan is Ray Harryhausen."[citation needed]
Christopher John reviewedClash of the Titans inAres Magazine #9 and commented that "Clash of the Titans is still one of Harryhausen's best works. It has a decent script, a fine cast, and a lot of good effects. The problem lies in the little things. If, in truth, it was to be a clash of the titans, then that is who should have been featured; it should have been either the gods' or Perseus' story, not both. The film falls between two schools... and even Harryhausen can't save it no matter how excellent his magic."[33]
C. J. Henderson reviewedClash of the Titans forPegasus magazine and stated that "For years, people had been saying that, if Harryhausen could get his hands on a decent budget, he would turn out the greatest fantasy film ever made. Well, after finally being given a monumental $20,000,000.00 to play with, the revered creator of dynarama not only did not make the best fantasy film ever made, but he did not even make his own best film.Clash ranks low on the Harryhausen ladder, containing some of his worst special effects."[34]
In a book published in 2000, Stephen R. Wilk suggested that "most people today who are aware of the story of Perseus and Medusa owe their knowledge to" the film.[35]
The four-issue comic book miniseriesWrath of the Titans (2007), released byTidalWave Productions as part of theirRay Harryhausen Signature Series, picked up the story five years after the events of the film.[36]
Harry Hamlin reprised his role as Perseus for the video gameGod of War II (2007).
The 3D remakeClash of the Titans (2010) and its sequelWrath of the Titans (2012) were released by the property's current rights holder Warner Bros. (throughTurner Entertainment Co., WB's sister company).[37][38][39] The Kraken appears inThe Lego Batman Movie as one of the villains rallied bythe Joker to destroyGotham City. Bubo made an appearance in "The Trouble with Truth", an episode of theanimated seriesJustice League Action.
Ray Harryhausen and producerCharles H. Schneer intended to produce another film based onGreek mythology titledForce of the Trojans. Harryhausen did some pre-production work on the project, however, Harryhausen made the announcement at the 1985 San Jose Film Festival that he intended to retire in order to spend time with his family and enjoyleisure time. Harryhausen also hinted that the inundation of effects heavy productions popularized byGeorge Lucas andSteven Spielberg may have contributed to his decision to retire.[40]
[...] Calibos, a figure that has no relation to Greek mythology, but is a significant character in the 1981 version, where he is the son of the goddess Thetis and an antagonist to Perseus.
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