Katherine’s talk is called, “Hollywood Consults the Oracle: The Delphic Oracle and Its Uncanny Expression in Minority Report“
The Oracle in classical Greece held a sacred place in society, consulted for both important matters of state and seemingly trivial personal matters (if one could pay). The words of the oracular priestess were translated through a priest and ultimately interpreted into action by the inquirer. It was an arm of the law; one could call it the “intuitive branch.” The tragic playwright Aeschylus described the lineage of the Oracle in his prologue to The Eumenides, beginning with Gaia, transitioning through two other goddesses to Apollo, the Olympian son of Zeus. Apollo was the bright god of the sun, and the intuitive side of the Oracle seemed to complete his nature.
In this presentation, I will describe the Oracle of Delphi, its priestesses, enquirers, rituals, fees, and probe Hollywood’s adaptation of the oracle in the 2002 movie, Minority Report featuring Tom Cruise (Apollo incarnate). We will uncover the classical remains of the Greek Oracle now dressed in new genders and new costumes, in a plot where murders are predicted using specialized mutated humans called “Precogs,” who “previsualize” crimes by receiving visions of the future. It is a timely review of society’s desire to know the future, control outcomes and destroy that which it cannot control.
About Katherine
Katherine J. Bailes, JD, PhD is a practicing attorney and an adjunct professor of mythological studies at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. Dr. Bailes holds a BFA in painting from the University of North Texas and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas, School of Law. She later obtained a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, California. Her dissertation entitled “The Themis Principle: Mystery and Irrationality in the U.S. Legal System” focused on the mythological aspects of the law as expressed in ancient cultures through goddesses such as Athena, Themis, Inanna and Maat. She has received numerous awards and served in a variety of leadership positions in art, law and teaching, successfully combining these fields through her understanding of story and the human capacity for myth making. You can reach Katherine through her LinkedIn profile or email.