Description

• Title:
  The Myth of Pandora in Colm McCarthy’s The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) and Alex Garland’s Annihilation (2018)
• Creator:
  Rojek, Patrycja
• Description:
  This article examines the myth of Pandora as a narrative structure within contemporary science-fiction cinema. While traditionally seen as the source of chaos and misfortune, Pandora has also been interpreted as a figure of nature and transformation. Drawing on Jane Ellen Harrison’s early 20th-century critique of Hesiod’s dominant version of the myth, the paper explores how science-fiction films revisit and reimagine this ambiguous figure. Focusing on The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) and Annihilation (2018), the analysis investigates how the Pandora myth – seen through the lens of feminist theory and ecocritical perspectives – resonates in portrayals of female protagonists who confront biological catastrophe and ecological mutation. The article introduces the concept of the “Pandora theme” as cultural DNA consisting of three core traits: pioneering femininity, transgression, and alignment with nature. These traits serve as a framework for interpreting mythic continuity in cinematic storytelling.
• Object availability:
  free access
• Rights:
  Prawa autorskie (c) 2025 Patrycja Rojek;
  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.pl
• Date:
  2025.12.11
• Type:
  info:eu-repo/semantics/article;
  info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
• Language:
  English
• Source:
  Images. The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication; Vol. 39 No. 48 (2025): Harmony & Disharmony; 45-57;
  Images. The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication; Tom 39 Nr 48 (2025): Harmony & Disharmony; 45-57;
  2720-040X;
  1731-450X
• Format:
  application/pdf
• Publisher:
  Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan
• Relation: https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/i/article/view/51226/41505
• Subject:
  Pandora myth;
  myth in film;
  science fiction cinema;
  The Girl with All the Gifts;
  Annihilation;
  feminist film theory
• Identifier: https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/i/article/view/51226
• Data provider:
  Platforma Otwartych Czasopism Naukowych UAM
• Can I use it?:
  seek permission
• Type:
  text