The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Part I: Mythology
- Lauren Taglienti
- Dec 27, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: May 14, 2022
| By Lauren Taglienti |
Oakley Court, a castle where scenes of The Rocky Horror Picture Show were shot.
"Country Hotel - Oakley Court" via woodpino on Pixabay
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is often touted as a cult classic because of its eccentricities and defiances of cultural norms. Delving into the rich list of cultural references within Rocky Horror transforms it into a meticulously crafted amalgamation of various cultural references that aid in the understanding of the film's narrative and character development. In Part I of this series, we will look at the various references to mythology throughout the film.
Greek Mythological Decor
Some of the decor and design that Frank-N-Furter, whom I will also refer to as Frank, implements in his residence suggest that he has an understanding of Greek mythology and an affinity for sexual imagery. During the wedding processional, there is stained glass that depicts Atlas uplifting the globe, which is resemblant of stained glass that is often behind the altar in a Catholic church. Greek statues of nude men and stained glass are among the decor in the dining room, with the statues mirroring Frank's own flaunting of his sexuality. There are more Greek statues of nude men in his lab, as well as a domed ceiling with stars on a blue background, which is reminiscent of the "ceiling of the music room of the Villa Stuck in Munich, Germany, crafted by Franz von Stuck (1863-1928)" ("ABOUT US") that has stars and the astrological signs on a blue background. A more famous replica of von Stuck's ceiling lies on the ceiling of the Albertine bookstore in New York City, a video of which I have include below juxtaposed with a screenshot of the ceiling in Rocky Horror.
I took this video of the ceiling of Albertine. It is inspired by Franz von Stuck's original artwork.
Albertine ceiling via Lauren Taglienti
Rocky being pulled up to the ceiling while singing "The Sword of Damocles"
Frank-N-Furter's lab's ceiling via Shanibandangle on Youtube
Both ceilings are curved and have stars on a blue background like sky, and the original ceiling by von Stuck is similarly curved with intermittent interruptions as it runs down the upper walls. Because The Rocky Horror Picture Show was released in 1975 and von Stuck lived from 1863-1928, there is plenty of time for the creators of the film to have seen the historical ceiling and to have been inspired to choose the one we see in Rocky Horror as a slight homage to the astrological one of von Struck's design, yet again another Greek mythological reference. Because much of Frank's decor is reflective of his sensuous lifestyle and is rooted in Greek mythology, the relation between the two ceilings suggests that Frank is well-versed in western human history and culture.
Additionally, Frank has a Medusa Switch in his home that allows him to turn anyone he wishes to stone. Just like Medusa turned people to stone in Greek mythology, Frank has the same power. Having a Medusa Switch suggests that he has an understanding of mythological references and uses them as inspiration for technological advancements, as had he not heard of the myth of Medusa, the chances of him having a switch that turns people to stone called a "Medusa Switch" are very slim.
2. "The Sword of Damocles"
Despite the luxurious lifestyle of Frank-N-Furter, Rocky feels threatened when he is first exposed to such a life. When Rocky is being unwrapped and exposed to the world around him for the first time, he sings a song called"The Sword of Damocles," in which he says "The Sword of Damocles is hangin' over my head, and I've got the feelin' someone's gonna be cuttin' the thread." The "Sword of Damocles" is a Greek myth that suggests that "anybody who gets to enjoy immense wealth, luxury and power also is living under a threat" (NPR). When Frank reveals Rocky to his guests, he becomes smitten with Rocky and appears willing to do whatever it takes to make Rocky his, including chasing him until he catches him. In the Frank-N-Furter residence, there are plenty of opulent meals, rooms, etc., as it is castle. However, Rocky also has to deal with the threat of being at Frank's service, even when he does not want to be, which is suggested by him running away from Frank while he sings "The Sword of Damocles." Understanding the reference to "The Sword of Damocles" suggests that Rocky feels threatened by Frank, much like Damocles felt when he sat on Dionysus' throne and realized there was a sword suspended above his head by a horse hair.
3. Greek Mythology: Incestuous Siblings
Greek mythology is riddled with incest, and Magenta and Riff Raff reveal themselves to be more than brother and sister. The nature of their relationship has long been speculated about, but it is clear to me that they are incestuous, considering that Riff Raff kisses her neck passionately, they longingly look at each other, and that their chemistry resembles that of a romantic couple, not of a sibling relationship. Magenta & Riff Raff's incestuous sibling relationship is resemblant of the incestuous Greek sibling couplings of Zeus and Hera and Zeus and Demeter, to name two of the many. This relation to Greek mythological siblings suggests an amplification of the outrageousness of the narrative and makes Magenta and Riff Raff even more extraterrestrial than they are since such a relationship is not acceptable in the western human culture they have been living in.
4. Christian Mythology: Genesis and The Last Supper
Rocky Horror does not only reference Greek mythology, but it references Christian mythology, as well. After Frank reveals Rocky to his guests, he sings to Rocky, "In just seven days, I can make you a man." The rest of the song is quite sexual in nature, but this specific line suggests that Frank believes that he can turn Rocky into a man in just seven days, which is reminiscent of the story of creation in the Book of Genesis, where God creates all the cosmos in just seven days, with the seventh day being a day of rest. By creating Rocky in the first place, Frank- is playing God— much like Dr. Frankenstein in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, which I will delve more into Part II of this series— and Frank suggests that he can transform Rocky like God created the cosmos: in seven days.
Some time after Frank-N-Furter playing God in the creation of Rocky comes a foreshadowing of his downfall from the narrator. With an image of "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci behind him, the narrator says, "Food has always played a vital role in life's rituals. The breaking of bread. The last meal of the condemned man. And now, this meal." The image of "The Last Supper" paired with the comments about last meals before deaths suggests that Frank's downfall is imminent, thus suggesting a parallel between his life and Jesus' life.
Similarly, when Frank-N-Furter and his followers swim in the pool toward the end of the movie, the bottom of the pool has Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" painted on it. While swimming in the pool, Frank sings "Don't dream it. Be it." The imagery of God creating Adam in the painting parallels Frank creating Rocky and Frank saying that "in just seven days [he] can make [him] a man." The lyric "Don't dream it. Be it" suggests that Frank became the godlike figure he sought to be, despite ultimately failing the mission he was assigned to complete.
The decor of Frank's mansion referencing multiple aspects of Greek mythology suggests that he is inspired by Greek mythology in his sensuous personal life, as well as in the technological advancements he makes. From the Genesis-esque creation of Rocky to "The Last Supper" paralleling Frank-N-Furter's last meal and foreshadowing his downfall, the Christian biblical references throughout Rocky Horror suggest that Frank seeks to be a godlike figure and that the narrative of the film foreshadows his demise, respectively.
Works Cited
"ABOUT US." Albertine, "https://www.albertine.com/about-us/.
"'Sword Of Damocles' Reference Sometimes Misused." All Things Considered from NPR, 19
"Sword Of Damocles - Rocky Horror Picture Show." YouTube, uploaded by Shanibandangle,
9 March 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdufVsPXtCE.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Directed by Jim Sharman, Twentieth Century Fox, 1975.
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