Jason and the Argonauts

Well?

Zeus, king of the gods of the Greeks...

brighten the ashes that I may read the future.

I see...

a great tree at the end of the world...

and in its branches there hang the skull and the skin of a ram.

They gleam and shine...

for it is a prize of the gods, a golden fleece.

We've no time for riddles and mysteries.

Tell me of tonight.

Pelias, you will conquer tonight.

You will overthrow the kingdom of Thessaly.

You will kill the king, Aristo, and wear his crown.

You will do all these things without fear or wound...

because Zeus commands it.

If I'm protected by Zeus, I will have no need of this.

I will lay it on the fire as a thank offering to the gods.

It is also foretold that although you will win the throne of Aristo...

you will, when Zeus ordains, lose it...

to one of Aristo's children.

- Then Aristo will have no children. - He has three, Pelias.

Two daughters, Philomela and Briseis...

and a son, Jason.

Then two daughters and a son will die with their father tonight.

Hera, queen of gods, protect this child, my sister Philomela.

And if I, Briseis, am worthy...

take me into your protection.

Are you Briseis, the daughter of Aristo?

Be silent. She is praying.

For her sister and for her murdered father, Aristo.

Are you a priestess?

I serve the gods.

Then tell me, has Briseis called upon the goddess Hera?

She has.

And has the goddess heard her prayer?

Yes.

Then pray for me.

It is the will of Zeus.

It is not the will of Zeus. It is your will.

Zeus has given you a kingdom.

The rest will be your own doing.

The gods abandon you, Pelias.

A one-sandaled man shall come...

and no god shall protect you from him.

A one-sandaled man?

The child who has escaped you-- Jason.

Then why was I not told the whole prophecy?

Why did Zeus drive me to kill this girl...

when the only one I needed to kill was Jason?

Zeus cannot drive men to do what you have done.

Men drive themselves to do such things, that the gods may know them...

and that men may understand themselves.

The killing of Jason would do you no good.

Kill Jason and you kill yourself.

Zeus, my godly husband...

did you order the profanation of my temple in Thessaly?

That was entirely the thought of Pelias.

Not content with winning the throne of Thessaly, as I had wished...

he tried to avoid losing it as I have commanded.

I know that you've been insulted, my dear.

But be content. The boy Jason has escaped.

- He will avenge you. - How?

You must know by now I never arrange exact and precise details--

And because you are neither exact nor precise, a young girl was killed...

and my temple was profaned.

I want to help Jason.

You may help the infant Philomela if you wish. She's a girl.

The rest is man's work.

I want to help Jason.

As you wish.

How many times did Aristo's daughter Briseis call upon you?

- By name? - Five.

Well, then you can help her brother five times.

Five times only, you can help him to overthrow Pelias.

And that is my final word.

It will be 20 years before Jason becomes a man...

or an instant of time here on Mount Olympus...

but a long 20 years for King Pelias.

He cautiously travels the roads of Thessaly.

Yes, Pelias, you have had years of watching and waiting...

for the man who must come to kill you.

The man with one sandal.

I owe you my life.

That was as good a way to ford a river as any.

But I seem to have lost a sandal in doing it.

Where are you traveling?

To the palace of the king.

Pelias of Thessaly.

Then I can put you on your way.

But first, you must accept the hospitality of my camp.

Come.

Be seated.

You have not yet told me your name.

I am Jason, the lawful king of Thessaly.

One of my father's soldiers rescued me and brought me up in exile.

Now I've returned to claim my kingdom.

I have waited for you for 20 years.

And in that 20 years, Pelias has turned my kingdom...

from the pride of Greece...

to a savage, evil land.

I shall need your help.

When your father defended his throne, no man fought harder than I.

This time it will not be enough to fight.

I could fight.

I could find Pelias and kill him.

But the people need more than a leader.

They must believe the gods have not deserted them.

They need a miracle.

And where will you find this miracle?

I have heard there is a tree at the end of the world...

with a fleece of gold hanging in its branches.

I have heard this too.

So have many men.

They say it is a gift of the gods.

It has the power to heal, bring peace and rid the land of plague and famine.

If I could find this prize and bring it home to Thessaly...

then it would inspire the people, wipe out the years of misrule.

They would know that the gods have not abandoned them.

My land would be rich and strong again...

as it was before this tyrant Pelias murdered my father.

Be advised by me.

First, search for this golden fleece.

Do not reveal yourself to Pelias, but build a ship...

and find a crew, and when you have this prize...

then and only then...

return and kill Pelias.

And now rest yourself.

My companions are yours to command.

Father, why do you let him live?

If I destroy him, Acastus, I destroy myself.

While he is searching for the golden fleece...

he is at the ends of the earth and I am safe.

And if he finds it?

You will be there.

Have you come to pray to the gods, Jason?

If I had, I wouldn't have chosen a fallen one.

Only a statue.

Sometimes the gods argue amongst themselves.

Then great winds blow...

and temples fall.

- Hermes. - Yes?

No, I said the statue was the god Hermes.

Ah, yes.

A bringer of dreams and a prowler of the night.

No man can tell you how to find the fleece.

Is it not time you asked the gods?

They will not answer those who believe in them.

Why should they answer one who doesn't?

Come with me.

Why?

So that you will believe...

and be answered.

You win, my lord.

That is, the battle, not the war.

Oh, those waters are far too shallow for galleys.

Hera, my dear, you really must learn to win without cheating.

Or at least to lose gracefully.

- Greetings, Hermes. - Greetings, my lord Zeus.

There seems to be a piece missing.

Perhaps I can help.

Welcome to Olympus, Jason.

Ah, Jason come to Mount Olympus at last.

No man calls upon the gods unless he wants something.

We arranged for you to be brought here by Hermes.

I wouldn't have believed a mortal could ask the help of the gods...

much less visit them.

Well, at least you're honest.

Which is more than I can say for most other mortals.

What is it you want?

A ship? A crew?

No. Those I can find myself.

Oh. And what are you going to use in place of gold?

The hearts of men.

I am Hera, queen of the gods and your protector on this voyage.

But my lord Zeus has decreed a limit to the number of times...

I may help you.

Do not speak now.

I know what you must ask.

Does the golden fleece exist? And if so, where is it?

That's two questions.

And I shall help him with only one answer.

Search in the land of Colchis.

Then it does exist.

But Colchis--

That's the end of the world. No Greek has ever sailed there.

Now that you've heard that...

are you so sure that you will not need my help?

Think carefully.

I offered him a ship--

A ship and a crew--

And he refused me.

Refused the help of the gods?

What ship is strong enough to reach to the edge of the world?

What crew brave enough to sail in her?

I shall tell the shipbuilders of Greece...

that the richest cargo in the world waits in Colchis.

The golden fleece is worth a kingdom.

I shall say that only the strongest ship ever built will survive the voyage.

The athletes of Greece are proud.

I'll tell them that only the best can expect a place...