Unpacking the Greco-Roman Mythology in John Wick: Chapter 4

Over at Hyperallergic this week, I have a review of the latest chapter of the John Wick movies. Like its predecessors, John Wick: Chapter IV relies heavily on Greco-Roman mythology, classical allusion, and ancient backdrops as both framework and frame for the narrative. This time, John Wick—played by a somber yet affable Keanu Reeves—leans into the role of an assassin Odysseus alongside a newcomer: a bounty hunter played by Shamier Anderson. Along with his faithful German Shepherd, he is our “Mr. Nobody” throughout this epic take on Homer’s Odyssey, even if Reeves is the central Ulysses we are following homeward. Beyond begging the question of what would have happened if Odysseus had been allowed to take Argos on campaign with him against the Trojans, the film is a reminder of what Helen Morales calls the “subversive power of the ancient myths.” From Tokyo to New York to Paris to Berlin, a global antiquity with a cosmopolitan mix of characters populate this reimagining of Homer’s epics.

Header Image: Greek hoplites in battle on a frieze of the Nereid Monument at Xanthos, Lycia (390–380 BCE), now  at the British Museum, London, UK (image by Carole Raddato) intermixed with Keanu Reeves, John Wick Red Carpet, Fantastic Fest Austin, Texas (2014) (image by Anna Hanks).

I don’t believe in the idea of “guilty pleasures” or the false dichotomy between prestige television and “lowbrow” reality shows or movies. In fact, using the terms “highbrow” and “lowbrow” have some pretty horrendous, phrenological histories. People are often surprised when I profess my love for Real Housewives, The Bachelor, or John Wick. Classicists are supposed to be the keepers of the sacred literary canon, right? Um, right? Well, I don’t like canons and I am not a classicist. Pop culture is far more interesting than the pretension of academia. Whether scripted or not, the truth is that these are the stories that speak to regular people about the quotidian and do so in an accessible manner. Intermixing ancient themes with the pop culture of today allows mythology and ancient history to be revived, to broaden, to include. Such stories were always meant to be a mixed tape constantly rerecorded. And as Patrice Rankine discussed in his book, Ulysses in Black: Ralph Ellison, Classicism, and African American Literature, Black writers have known this for a long time.

Figure 1: Black-figured skyphos decorated with the loom of Circe, who is shown with Odysseus and one of his sailors, changed to an animal. Inscribed `Κίρκη’ (“Circe”), Boeotian, 450-420 BCE, now at the British Museum, London, UK (image and modified caption via British Museum).

Was this my favorite of the films? Almost. It is no secret that I loved John Wick: Chapter 2. It took place in Rome and there was extensive filming done in the Baths of Caracalla and across the Eternal City. I reviewed it and its use of antiquity for Forbes all the way back in 2017. But this one struck a cord that it felt like we were finally going to see Wick travel home with a sense of peace. It was also great to see Lance Reddick one last time as Charon. Even if the success of this chapter means that the franchise will continue on with numerous spinoffs and a possible fifth chapter, to me this felt like a satisfying conclusion to the epic we began 10 years ago, in 2014. To be honest, it was also only my third time being in a movie theater in three years after a long, ongoing pandemic. So perhaps I was a little hyped up for popcorn and seeing Ian McShane. Whatever the case: enjoy the review and let me know what you thought—but it is well worth a trip to the Underworld.