Film Analysis: The Epic Of Gilgamesh

In the documentary The Epic of Gilgamesh, whether they were in Japan or New York, 16 or older, all of the professors and teachers that spoke fell in love with The Epic of Gilgamesh upon their first encounter, drawn in by its mystical pull. A literary concept/point that was highly discussed was the humanization of Enkidu by Shamhat. Azar Nafisi an author, says, “Enkidu is the natural man, like Adam, he is innocent and he has to bite the apple through the divine harlot”. Enkidu starts out as a very hairy, dirty being, like an animal, and the basic goal of Shamhat was to draw him out of the animal world into the human. Assyriologist Ben Foster states, “The idea is that sexual contact with a woman will remove him from the animal world
and make him a human being”. This is unlike other stories from this time, because sex was a sin in many religions minds. Azar Nafisi also says, “ In many epics, women are the ones who stay behind. In Gilgamesh, they ignite certain things, they motivate the protagonist to go to certain places he might not have gone.” Shamhat plays an integral role of taming the wild Enkidu. This temptation played on an animal lured Enkidu out of nature and into the city, we he learned how to love, but also how to act. Another point approached by Yusef Komunyakaa was Enkidu being a mirror of Gilgamesh.
Ben Foster mentions, “Enkidu is the classic number 2, you know Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson kind of pairing.” As soon as Gilgamesh and Enkidu meet, they fight like bulls for forty days, but when they stop, they come to a moment where they decide they are equally strong. After they stop fighting, they become friends, and then Gilgamesh is no longer a tyrant. This transformation occurs when Gilgamesh is forced to face his own mortality. The fight between them is practically Gilgamesh coming to terms with himself. There is something about not only being yourself, but having someone there to put you in place when you drift. Enkidu was originally sent down to teach Gilgamesh a lesson, but ends up his friend. Another way Enkidu is a mirror of Gilgamesh is after he is created, he is described as “equal to Gilgamesh’s stormy heart”. From the start of his creation, Enkidu was compared to Gilgamesh. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu had Humbaba as a captive, Enkidu tells Gilgamesh, “Slay him, do away with his power!”, and the reader is reminded of something the tyrant Gilgamesh would have said. However, they still kill him. Enkidu and Gilgamesh had a strong relationship that was unbreakable. The decision made by Enkidu and Gilgamesh came with a price that the gods chose Enkidu to
pay.

Another point that came up was the discussion of death in the book. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh was not willing to accept that his friend has died or submit it for burial, until a worm dropped out of his nose. Ludmila Zeman describes the story behind artwork of the moment that Gilgamesh is holding onto Enkidu, and how she captured it. “When you love someone so much you feel that this cannot happen, you cannot lose someone you love so much. My daughter was hit by a car and she was in a coma and I said, ‘My life is over, how can I deal with this pain?”’. David Damrosch says, “This is a piece that speaks deeply to a sense of loss and pain that you feel after someone in your life has died.”The loss of Gilgamesh’s friend who he loved has fallen, and it makes Gilgamesh worry that he too, will die. Filmmaker Linda Spaleny states, “The oldest question that humans have always had is ‘What happens when you die?’” This sends him on a journey to find immortality. The tavern keeper Siduri tells Gilgamesh to eat, live, and be merry, because we all die. Izumi Ashizawa says, “That phrase just struck me strongly. Men were born, they live, and they die.” The discussion of death in the Gilgamesh story is unusual but also important. The documentary, The Epic of Gilgamesh is an breaking down and discussion of The Epic of Gilgamesh(the actual epic). The epic’s enticing controversy and daring analyses attract people from all over the world.