Mononymous Biopic Title: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
[[File:mononymous 3105.jpg|frame|Top: ''Cobb'', ''Wilde'', ''[[Gia]]'' Bottom: ''Jinnah'', ''Ali'', ''[[Milk]]'']]
[[File:mononymous 3105.jpg|frame|Top: ''Cobb'', ''Wilde'', ''[[Gia]]'' Bottom: ''Jinnah'', ''[[Ali]]'', ''[[Milk]]'']]


To name a work is a delicate art: it has to capture the essence of the work ([[Word Salad Title|at least most of the times]]) and do justice to the content. With [[biopic]]s and other biographical works, this is slightly trickier since a real person's life rarely follows a particular, simplistic theme that eases the process of naming.
To name a work is a delicate art: it has to capture the essence of the work ([[Word Salad Title|at least most of the times]]) and do justice to the content. With [[biopic]]s and other biographical works, this is slightly trickier since a real person's life rarely follows a particular, simplistic theme that eases the process of naming.


Sometimes you can use certain phrases that you think represent the person well: "''[[Raging Bull]]''" for Jake LaMotta or "''[[The Pursuit of Happyness]]''" for Christopher Gardner. But some other times it's best to just name it after the person. Usually it's their last name. Sometimes the given name. It just has this immediate impact. Probably because being mononymous traditionally carries a certain honour (Plato, Rafael, and so forth), this has a certain effect of grandeur.
Sometimes you can use certain phrases that you think represent the person well: "''[[Raging Bull]]''" for Jake LaMotta or "''[[The Pursuit of Happyness]]''" for Christopher Gardner. But some other times it's best to just name it after the person. Usually it's their last name. Sometimes the given name. It just has this immediate impact. Probably because being mononymous traditionally carries a certain honour (Plato, Rafael, and so forth), this has a certain effect of grandeur.


[[Sub-Trope]] of [[One Word Title]] (although some variations include ''the''), and may even overlap with [[One-Letter Title]] (''W.''). Also a [[Sub-Trope]] of [[Character Title]]. Not to be confused with a variation where the trope is applied to fictional characters, common in TV series in order to highlight the title character's central role.
[[Sub-Trope]] of [[One Word Title]] (although some variations include ''the''), and may even overlap with [[One-Letter Title]] (''W.''). Also a [[Sub-Trope]] of [[Character Title]]. Not to be confused with a variation where the trope is applied to fictional characters, common in TV series in order to highlight the title character's central role.


{{examples}}
{{examples}}

== Film A-M ==
== Film A-M ==
* ''Alexander'' ([[Alexander the Great]])
* ''Alexander'' ([[Alexander the Great]])
* ''Ali'' (Muhammad Ali)
* ''Ali'' (Muhammad Ali)
* ''[[Amadeus]]'' (a slightly odd example, as the protagonist is Antonio Salieri; [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]] is just the object of his obsession)
* ''[[Amadeus]]'' (a slightly odd example, as the protagonist is Antonio Salieri; [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]] is just the object of his obsession)
* ''Amelia'' ([[Amelia Earhart]])
* ''Amelia'' ([[Amelia Earhart]])
* ''Artemisia'' (Artemisia Gentileschi)
* ''Artemisia'' (Artemisia Gentileschi)
* ''Attila'' ([[Attila the Hun]])
* ''Attila'' ([[Attila the Hun]])
* ''Aurore'' (Aurore Gagnon)
* ''Aurore'' (Aurore Gagnon)
* ''Babe'' (Babe Didrikson)
* ''Babe'' (Babe Didrikson)
** Also ''The Babe'' (This time for Babe Ruth)
** Also ''The Babe'' (This time for Babe Ruth)
* ''Basquiat'' (Jean-Michel Basquiat)
* ''Basquiat'' (Jean-Michel Basquiat)
* ''Becket'' (Thomas Becket)
* ''Becket'' (Thomas Becket)
* ''Bugsy'' (Bugsy Siegel)
* ''Bugsy'' (Bugsy Siegel)
* ''[[Caligula]]'' ([[Emperor Caligula|Caligula]])
* ''[[Caligula]]'' ([[Emperor Caligula|Caligula]])
* ''[[Capote]]'' (Truman Capote)
* ''[[Capote]]'' (Truman Capote)
* ''Carlos'' (Carlos the Jackal)
* ''Carlos'' (Carlos the Jackal)
* ''Carrington'' (Dora Carrington)
* ''Carrington'' (Dora Carrington)
* ''Cass'' (Cass Pennant)
* ''Cass'' (Cass Pennant)
* ''Chaplin'' ([[Charlie Chaplin]])
* ''Chaplin'' ([[Charlie Chaplin]])
* ''Che'' (Che Guevara; actually a duology with a subtitle each.)
* ''Che'' (Che Guevara; actually a duology with a subtitle each.)
** ''Che!'', a different film.
** ''Che!'', a different film.
* ''Chisum'' (John Chisum)
* ''Chisum'' (John Chisum)
* ''Cleopatra'' (Cleopatra; an extreme case with at least five films titled as such, the most famous being [[Cleopatra|the one with]] [[Elizabeth Taylor]].<ref>To be fair, she is mononymous</ref>)
* ''Cleopatra'' (Cleopatra; an extreme case with at least five films titled as such, the most famous being [[Cleopatra|the one with]] [[Elizabeth Taylor]].<ref>To be fair, she is mononymous</ref>)
* ''Cromwell'' (Oliver Cromwell)
* ''Cromwell'' (Oliver Cromwell)
* ''Cobb'' (Ty Cobb)
* ''Cobb'' (Ty Cobb)
* ''Danton'' (Georges Danton)
* ''Danton'' (Georges Danton)
* ''Dempsey'' (Jack Dempsey)
* ''Dempsey'' (Jack Dempsey)
* ''Dillinger'' (John Dillinger)
* ''Dillinger'' (John Dillinger)
* ''Disraeli'' ([[Benjamin Disraeli]])
* ''Disraeli'' ([[Benjamin Disraeli]])
* ''Domino'' (Domino Harvey)
* ''Domino'' (Domino Harvey)
* ''Elgar'' (Edward Elgar)
* ''Elgar'' (Edward Elgar)
* ''[[Elizabeth]]'' ([[The Virgin Queen|Queen Elizabeth I]])
* ''[[Elizabeth (film)|Elizabeth]]'' ([[The Virgin Queen|Queen Elizabeth I]])
* ''Elvis'' ([[Elvis Presley]])
* ''Elvis'' ([[Elvis Presley]])
* ''[[Evita]]'' (Evita Perón)
* ''[[Evita]]'' (Evita Perón)
* ''Faustina'' (Mary Faustina Kowalska/Saint Faustina)
* ''Faustina'' (Mary Faustina Kowalska/Saint Faustina)
* ''Fidel'' ([[Fidel Castro]])
* ''Fidel'' ([[Fidel Castro]])
* ''Frances'' (Frances Farmer)
* ''Frances'' (Frances Farmer)
* ''Freud: The Secret Passion'' (Sigmund Freud)
* ''Freud: The Secret Passion'' (Sigmund Freud)
* ''[[Frida]]'' (Frida Kahlo)
* ''[[Frida]]'' (Frida Kahlo)
* ''Gainsbourg'' (Serge Gainsbourg)
* ''Gainsbourg'' (Serge Gainsbourg)
* ''Galileo'' (Galileo Galilei)
* ''Galileo'' (Galileo Galilei)
* ''[[Gandhi]]'' (Mohandas Gandhi)
* ''[[Gandhi]]'' (Mohandas Gandhi)
* ''[[Gia]]'' (Gia Marie Carangi)
* ''[[Gia]]'' (Gia Marie Carangi)
* ''Gie'' (Soe Hok Gie)
* ''Gie'' (Soe Hok Gie)
* ''Hamill'' (Matt Hamill)
* ''Hamill'' (Matt Hamill)
* ''Hannibal'' (Hannibal of Carthage)
* ''Hannibal'' (Hannibal of Carthage)
* ''Hansie'' (Hansie Cronje)
* ''Hansie'' (Hansie Cronje)
* ''[[Hawking]]'' (Stephen Hawking)
* ''[[Hawking]]'' (Stephen Hawking)
* ''Houdini'' (Harry Houdini)
* ''Houdini'' (Harry Houdini)
* ''Iris'' (Iris Murdoch)
* ''Iris'' (Iris Murdoch)
* ''Isadora'' (Isadora Duncan)
* ''Isadora'' (Isadora Duncan)
* ''Jinnah'' (Muhammad Ali Jinnah)
* ''Jinnah'' (Muhammad Ali Jinnah)
* ''Juarez'' (Benito Juarez)
* ''Juarez'' (Benito Juarez)
* ''Kennedy'' ([[John F. Kennedy]])
* ''Kennedy'' ([[John F. Kennedy]])
* ''Kinsey'' (Alfred Kinsey)
* ''Kinsey'' (Alfred Kinsey)
* ''Klimt'' (Gustav Klimt)
* ''Klimt'' (Gustav Klimt)
* ''Lenny'' ([[Lenny Bruce]])
* ''Lenny'' ([[Lenny Bruce]])
* ''Leonie'' (Leonie Gilmour)
* ''Leonie'' (Leonie Gilmour)
* ''Luther'' (Martin Luther)
* ''Luther'' (Martin Luther)
* ''Mahler'' (Gustav Mahler)
* ''Mahler'' (Gustav Mahler)
* ''Margaret'' ([[Margaret Thatcher]])
* ''Margaret'' ([[Margaret Thatcher]])
* ''Marie'' (Marie Ragghianti)
* ''Marie'' (Marie Ragghianti)
* ''[[Milk]]'' (Harvey Milk)
* ''[[Milk]]'' (Harvey Milk)
* ''Modigliani'' (Amedeo Modigliani)
* ''Modigliani'' (Amedeo Modigliani)




== Film N-Z ==
== Film N-Z ==
* ''Napoléon'' ([[Napoleon Bonaparte]])
* ''Napoléon'' ([[Napoleon Bonaparte]])
* ''Nero'' (Nero)
* ''Nero'' (Nero)
* ''[[Nixon]]'' ([[Richard Nixon]])
* ''[[Nixon]]'' ([[Richard Nixon]])
* ''[[Patton]]'' (George S. Patton)
* ''[[Patton]]'' (George S. Patton)
* ''Prefontaine'' (Steve Prefontaine)
* ''Prefontaine'' (Steve Prefontaine)
* ''Piñero'' (Miguel Piñero)
* ''Piñero'' (Miguel Piñero)
* ''Ray'' (Ray Charles)
* ''Ray'' (Ray Charles)
* ''Sadat'' (Anwar Sadat)
* ''Sadat'' (Anwar Sadat)
* ''Selena'' (Selena Quintanilla-Pérez)
* ''Sanju'' ([[Sanjay Dutt]])
* ''[[Selena (film)|Selena]]'' ([[Selena|Selena Quintanilla-Pérez]])
* ''[[Serpico]]'' (Frank Serpico)
* ''Silkwood'' (Karen Silkwood)
* ''[[Serpico]]'' (Frank Serpico)
* ''Sinatra'' ([[Frank Sinatra]])
* ''Silkwood'' (Karen Silkwood)
* ''Soraya'' (Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari)
* ''Sinatra'' ([[Frank Sinatra]])
* ''Soraya'' (Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari)
* ''[[Spartacus]]'' (Spartacus)
* ''Sylvia'' (Sylvia Plath)
* ''[[Spartacus]]'' (Spartacus)
* ''Tatsumi'' (Yoshihiro Tatsumi)
* ''Sylvia'' ([[Sylvia Plath]])
* ''Truman'' ([[Harry S Truman]])
* ''Tatsumi'' (Yoshihiro Tatsumi)
* ''W.'' ([[George W. Bush]])
* ''Truman'' ([[Harry S. Truman]])
* ''Wilde'' ([[Oscar Wilde]])
* ''W.'' ([[George W. Bush]])
* ''Wilson'' ([[Woodrow Wilson]])
* ''Wilde'' ([[Oscar Wilde]])
* ''Winchell'' (Walter Winchell)
* ''Wilson'' ([[Woodrow Wilson]])
* ''Wittgenstein'' (Ludwig Wittgenstein)
* ''Winchell'' (Walter Winchell)
* ''Wittgenstein'' (Ludwig Wittgenstein)



== TV Series ==
== TV Series ==
* ''Benito'' ([[Benito Mussolini]])
* ''Benito'' ([[Benito Mussolini]])
* ''King'' (Martin Luther King)
* ''King'' (Martin Luther King)


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{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Title Tropes]]
[[Category:Title Tropes]]
[[Category:Mononymous Biopic Title]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Latest revision as of 07:03, 2 February 2021

Top: Cobb, Wilde, Gia Bottom: Jinnah, Ali, Milk

To name a work is a delicate art: it has to capture the essence of the work (at least most of the times) and do justice to the content. With biopics and other biographical works, this is slightly trickier since a real person's life rarely follows a particular, simplistic theme that eases the process of naming.

Sometimes you can use certain phrases that you think represent the person well: "Raging Bull" for Jake LaMotta or "The Pursuit of Happyness" for Christopher Gardner. But some other times it's best to just name it after the person. Usually it's their last name. Sometimes the given name. It just has this immediate impact. Probably because being mononymous traditionally carries a certain honour (Plato, Rafael, and so forth), this has a certain effect of grandeur.

Sub-Trope of One Word Title (although some variations include the), and may even overlap with One-Letter Title (W.). Also a Sub-Trope of Character Title. Not to be confused with a variation where the trope is applied to fictional characters, common in TV series in order to highlight the title character's central role.

Examples of Mononymous Biopic Title include:


Film A-M

  • Alexander (Alexander the Great)
  • Ali (Muhammad Ali)
  • Amadeus (a slightly odd example, as the protagonist is Antonio Salieri; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is just the object of his obsession)
  • Amelia (Amelia Earhart)
  • Artemisia (Artemisia Gentileschi)
  • Attila (Attila the Hun)
  • Aurore (Aurore Gagnon)
  • Babe (Babe Didrikson)
    • Also The Babe (This time for Babe Ruth)
  • Basquiat (Jean-Michel Basquiat)
  • Becket (Thomas Becket)
  • Bugsy (Bugsy Siegel)
  • Caligula (Caligula)
  • Capote (Truman Capote)
  • Carlos (Carlos the Jackal)
  • Carrington (Dora Carrington)
  • Cass (Cass Pennant)
  • Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin)
  • Che (Che Guevara; actually a duology with a subtitle each.)
    • Che!, a different film.
  • Chisum (John Chisum)
  • Cleopatra (Cleopatra; an extreme case with at least five films titled as such, the most famous being the one with Elizabeth Taylor.[1])
  • Cromwell (Oliver Cromwell)
  • Cobb (Ty Cobb)
  • Danton (Georges Danton)
  • Dempsey (Jack Dempsey)
  • Dillinger (John Dillinger)
  • Disraeli (Benjamin Disraeli)
  • Domino (Domino Harvey)
  • Elgar (Edward Elgar)
  • Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth I)
  • Elvis (Elvis Presley)
  • Evita (Evita Perón)
  • Faustina (Mary Faustina Kowalska/Saint Faustina)
  • Fidel (Fidel Castro)
  • Frances (Frances Farmer)
  • Freud: The Secret Passion (Sigmund Freud)
  • Frida (Frida Kahlo)
  • Gainsbourg (Serge Gainsbourg)
  • Galileo (Galileo Galilei)
  • Gandhi (Mohandas Gandhi)
  • Gia (Gia Marie Carangi)
  • Gie (Soe Hok Gie)
  • Hamill (Matt Hamill)
  • Hannibal (Hannibal of Carthage)
  • Hansie (Hansie Cronje)
  • Hawking (Stephen Hawking)
  • Houdini (Harry Houdini)
  • Iris (Iris Murdoch)
  • Isadora (Isadora Duncan)
  • Jinnah (Muhammad Ali Jinnah)
  • Juarez (Benito Juarez)
  • Kennedy (John F. Kennedy)
  • Kinsey (Alfred Kinsey)
  • Klimt (Gustav Klimt)
  • Lenny (Lenny Bruce)
  • Leonie (Leonie Gilmour)
  • Luther (Martin Luther)
  • Mahler (Gustav Mahler)
  • Margaret (Margaret Thatcher)
  • Marie (Marie Ragghianti)
  • Milk (Harvey Milk)
  • Modigliani (Amedeo Modigliani)


Film N-Z

TV Series


Web Original

  1. ↑ To be fair, she is mononymous
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