example of a modern film which has embodied Homer’s epic, through the depictions of heroes and brings it to the audience in a way that they enjoy. It is society that needs the hero, in order to think they have a chance of individually achieving something great. The idea of the hero is not something that is going to disappear as it has been represented throughout time and continues today. Homer can arguably be seen to set the template for heroism in war, and does so through the grand battle scenes of one-to-one combat and the descriptions of the strength and nobility of the men involved. This view of what a hero is, has continued to be developed and can be seen in wartime imagery. Such as the paintings of Jacques-Louis David, who lived during a tumultuous period and focuses on war scenes and individuals, as well as Alexander Gardner whose photographs, although occasionally staged, present war as noble for those involved. Homer’s heroism has been adapted into films and his ideas used in many different genres like the Western. The idea of the hero is therefore shown throughout history and writers, artists and film-makers are preoccupied with it. Although, much of the time it is not realistic, which means that their preoccupation is unjust, it is what society likes to see as it means they see themselves as having a chance of being a hero, so the artists are bringing what the people want.
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