Medusa

Creator: Ray Harryhausen

Film: Clash of the Titans 1981

Medusa Video

 

In classical mythology one of the Gorgons she was the only mortal one, if you looked unto her eyes you were turned to stone! The classical depiction of Medusa was of a beautiful woman but with snakes instead of hair.

 

Perseus is told by the Stygian Witches (after some persuasion and trickery) that the only way to defeat The Kraken is with the head of Medusa, the Gorgon. He travels to the edge of the underworld and after days of wandering he finally arrives at the river Styx at the very edge of the underworld, a dark, humid, foggy and gloomy place. As he arrives he blows the horn that would call forth the ferry man Charon, for one coin he would let any mortal cross over to the underworld. Charon a skeleton with a dark robe covering his entire body. After they cross it they arrive at the cave that lead to the abandoned and ancient temples in the island where Medusa had escaped due to her appearance. But before erseus and his men enter Medusa's temple he is attacked by Disokilos the guardian of the underworld. After a very exciting fight Perseus kills Dioskilos and continues to enter the underground chamber of Medusa.

Perseus and the two soldiers enter her dark and damp layer cautiously, only hearing the rattle of her tail echoing in dark temple. Remains of other mortal men who have tried to conquer Medusa are found throughout the temple like trophies of her deadly stare. Medusa makes her appearance and continues to kill the two soldiers. The first is hit by one of her arrows and lands in pool of acid, the second is knocked down and makes the fatal mistake of looking into her face, he is instantly turned to stone. Medusa haunts down Persues as he hides behind the so many pillars in the chamber. After a divine intervention by Zeus Perseus tricks Medusa and uses his shield to reflect his face, Medusa looks at it and hits it with a arrow. She slithers toward the way of the shield but Perseus is there with his sword ready to slice her. As soon as he hears her close by he swings his sword and rips Medusa's head clearly off her torso.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medusa Facts

 

• The entire sequence of the medusa took over 3 months to shoot.

 

• In the original script Perseus was to use the shield to cut her head off, but this was changed for the final print where he uses the sword. A much better idea if you ask me.

 

• So that the illusion that Medusa was an actual part of the scene Mr. Harryhausen had to put a flicker of fire on the model all the time, since her temple was dark and had fire pedestals all over.

 

• Janet Stevens did the serpentine texture and scales of medusas body and build the models of medusa in clay.

Credit: An Animated Life

By Tony Dalton