There are quite a few parallels between Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” and Medea. No, not Tyler Perry’s Medea, but something kinda related to Perry all the same: Euripides’ Medea. Vimeo user Ivana Brehas argues the titular character in the 1431 text and the main character behind Flynn’s bestselling novel and award-winning screenplay, Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), are the same — even down to their backstories. Obviously, spoilers follow below.
While one might be a demigod and the other is a psychologically-abused children’s book author, there are some striking similarities found between the two. As pointed out by Brehas, both are daughters of high wealth and prosperity who sacrifice their privilege to follow a more romantic path. They both earn “the citizens’ welcome” in their domestic life, and they both help their husbands reach their goals, which ultimately makes them “heroes. ” However, their husbands repay them with betrayal, by taking up with younger lovers. And much like Amy’s journals at the beginning of the film/book, we blindly trust Medea through her words at this point, but as you know, deceit and revenge soon bubbles up.
Tempted by suicide, both Medea and Amy find their pride gets in the way. But exiled and alone, they remain stuck. So they need to find sanctuary, somewhere they can wait. A friend is in order for both, someone they can take advantage of in this moment of vulnerability, and they find safety in this ally. And from there, they both will stop at nothing to get what they feel they are due.
So the similarities are already pretty apparent, and this is before getting into some of the ickier side of things in either story. And if anything, this proves that some stories are timeless, or that some stories can find ways to become timely and relevant over and over again. Check out the video for yourself up above.
