From Greek Epics to Biblical Blockbusters: The 20 Best Mythological Films, Ranked

As Christopher Nolan prepares to bring The Odyssey to the big screen in December, the Guardian has reopened the great files of mythological cinema. From Greek epics to biblical blockbusters, Korean folklore, and the giant superhero productions of the pre-Marvel era, these 20 films show how mythology has "come home" to cinema.

20. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

Chris Columbus's adaptation of Rick Riordan, though disappointing to series fans, is an unforgettable child-mythology blend with Uma Thurman's Medusa and Steve Coogan's Hades.

19. Immortals (2011)

Tarsem Singh's Theseus film, a visual feast, is concerned not with historical accuracy but with pictorial effect. Henry Cavill's first major role.

18. Wonder Woman (2017)

Patty Jenkins's film skillfully places Amazon mythology into a World War I melodrama. Gal Gadot's Diana is one of the most mythological of superhero films.

17. Troy (2004)

Wolfgang Petersen's Homeric adaptation removes the gods and replaces them with Brad Pitt's muscles and human tragedy. Peter O'Toole's Priam is shattering.

16. The Prince of Egypt (1998)

DreamWorks' animated masterpiece. It retells the story of Moses with Hollywood-Broadway songs.

15. Excalibur (1981)

John Boorman's gothic Arthurian adaptation redefined the genre by dragging mythological cinema into a misty, muddy, and mystical pit.

14. Noah (2014)

Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic, an artistic hallucination ranging from rock giant angels to the end of the world. Russell Crowe's Noah is monolithic.

13. The Odyssey (1997)

Andrei Konchalovsky's Emmy-winning mini-series, the great Odyssey adaptation before Nolan. Armand Assante's patient Odysseus.

12. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

Ray Harryhausen's skeleton warriors and Talos figure represent the stop-motion golden age of mythological cinema.

11. Clash of the Titans (1981)

Again Harryhausen; Perseus's encounter with Medusa and the rise of the Kraken entered the dreams of generations.

10. The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Mel Gibson's bloody and uninterrupted crucifixion narrative, filmed in Aramaic-Latin. One of the most controversial examples of religious cinema.

9. Ben-Hur (1959)

William Wyler's 11-Oscar epic. The chariot race is still one of the most impressive action scenes in cinema history.

8. Black Orpheus (1959)

Marcel Camus's Orpheus adaptation set in the Rio carnival. A masterpiece with bossa nova music and tropical colors.

7. Ulysses (1954)

Kirk Douglas as Odysseus. Mario Camerini's Italian production is still surprising today with its audacity to fit the epic into 100 minutes.

6. Kagemusha (1980)

Akira Kurosawa's samurai films are the most powerful expressions of Japanese feudal mythology in epic cinema.

5. The Ten Commandments (1956)

Cecil B. DeMille's Moses. Charlton Heston, parting the sea, also expanded the boundaries of cinema mythology.

4. Spirited Away (2001)

Hayao Miyazaki's greatest gift to Shinto and Japanese folklore. The pinnacle of mythological cinema in animation.

3. Medea (1969)

Pier Paolo Pasolini's film with Maria Callas transforms Euripides into a modern archaeological lesson.

2. Orphée (1950)

Jean Cocteau's magical Orpheus modernization. It was embedded in cinema history with the figure of death passing through the mirror.

1. Andrei Rublev (1966)

Tarkovsky's film about the Russian Orthodox icon painter stands at the pinnacle as the noblest expression of the sacred and the mythological in cinema.

Source: The Guardian – "From Greek epics to biblical blockbusters: the 20 best mythological movies – ranked!"