: Re: What's the significance of ancient mythology in literature? Whenever I see a movie critic praise Ridley Scott's Prometheus, they seem to be drooling over all the mythological references, although

@Candy753

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I noticed you said "movie critics" enjoy mythological references in a film, but do audiences? So you've asked, kind of a two-part question. For clarity, there are films that are based on mythology, like "Star Wars" and there are films that reference mythology like "Prometheus." It can be a fine line, but I believe the difference lies with whether the filmmakers want to draw attention to the myth or not.

I think that referencing a myth resembles the use of symbolism in storytelling. Both are fairly easy to do, but the audience (who know nothing of writing, filmmaking, or storytelling) tend to like them because both make them feel smart. Like they discovered some hidden detail no one else was clever enough to see. This despite the fact that, for example, the movie is titled "Prometheus."

As for movie critics, most seem to believe (based upon the many movie reviews I've read) that they are somehow 'fellow filmmakers.' In fact, they know little more than the audience. Thus critics cleave to any subtlety or detail of a film that makes them feel smarter than the audience and thus involved in the filmmaking process. Critics love symbolism, literary references, and mythological references, but as Adam Sandler might ask, "do you need the critics to like your film?"

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