I prefer the 1981 version of the clip, because despite the weird 80’s special effects, I feel they do

a better job of displaying the character’s suspense and terror. Medusa is kept in shadow almost

the entire time, and you can see Perseus as a hero using his brain and cleverness with his shield

to win the fight, not just brute strength in a fight scene. I think it’s interesting that the more

recent one also doesn’t really make Medusa look scary facially, she’s still got a beautiful face

and just happens to have snakes for hair. The 1981 version, she clearly is a monster that can rival

Perseus’ cleverness, which is why he needs to outsmart her. The 2010 version almost seems to

want the character to be attractive to the viewer, which is a very weird way to interpret the scene,

in my opinion. The brute strength portrayed in the 2010 version I think is more a product of what

viewers at the time wanted to see, well choreographed and cut fight scenes with special effects,

whereas the 1981 version clearly understands the characters better. When I imagine Medusa’s

lair, I also imagine more the tight space that the 1981 version depicted. The 2010 version almost

made the fight seem more like it took place in a video game, with a completely open playing

field, where Perseus could use all of his surroundings to his advantage, rather than simply his

gifts from the gods. The only thing I think the 2010 clip does better would be portraying Medusa

is a more sympathetic light, as she writhes around and tries to hold on even after her head is cut

off, which is saddening to watch. Finally, the 1981 clip ends with Perseus triumphantly holding

up the head, whereas the 2010 clip seems to end with a feeling of, “Where do we go from here?”