Leviathan

[Intrigued]

In an article promoting the blockbuster movie, "The Da Vinci Code" the journalist refered to the marketing campaigns being orchestrated by Sony Pictures "...for its LEVIATHAN film..."

I understood leviathan was a noun and accordingly, the usage should have been something like,

"for its leviathan of film, the Da Vinci Code".

Does anyone have any thoughts / comments?

 

[panjandrum]

Welcome to these forums, intrigued

Block-buster, originally a noun, is now also used as an adjective, following a well-established pattern of development.

Leviathan, originally a noun, acquired adjective status several hundred years ago.

 

[la reine victoria]

Hello and welcome, Intrigued.


I expect you know that the Leviathan was a gigantic sea monster, mentioned in the Bible.

Leviathan can be used to describe anything which is really large.

In the same way, from Rabelais' 16th century book, Gargantua and Pantagreul (an hilarious tale of giants), the adjective "Gargantuan" has come into use.


Regards,
LRV

 

[Intrigued]

So it can be an adjective as well!? There you go...thanks for the update!

 

[Intrigued]

Thank you. In light of its Biblical origins, I wonder if the journalist was being clever in her selection of this adjective in light of the film's subject matter?

 

[foxfirebrand]

Thank you. In light of its Biblical origins, I wonder if the journalist was being clever in her selection of this adjective in light of the film's subject matter?

I doubt it. In movie-posterese it's simply a fresh take on the overused "colossal," and the publicist probably sat there, thesaurus on lap, trying to scare up a substitute.

If he'd had any awareness of its cultural history in the English language (Milton, Blake, Hobbes), I doubt he'd've chosen a word with such murky and sinister implications.
.