In this parody of 'ritual arming', Lee Marvin (who, incredibly, won an Oscar for his role in this film,
Catballoo) goes through the paces to prepare himself for the final showdown with the villain (also played by himself). According to the Internet Movie Database, the director shot this scene timed to a metronome: he wanted every element to be exact, precise, and in a word, perfect.
In ancient Greek conceptions of ritual, a series of steps has to be performed perfectly in order to work: one misstep and the ritual is ruined. This is why for Patroklos' arming scene in Book XVIII, the Homeric voice sings of every element of the ritual: greaves, breastplate, shield, weapon. For Patroklos--as for Lee Marvin--the ritual works: with the conclusion of the final piece of the armor, the hero is transformed into a new man. (Notice that in the clip below, Marvin checks himself out in a mirror: he has metamorphosed into a daimôn, a superhuman cowboy. Even his attendant (therapôn) is frightened of him, as he timidly opens the door for this new warrior. The ritual is complete.
