The Odyssey [DVD]

After watching this movie, I realized how tedious it would have been if the director had filmed feast after feast or all the details of the original story. He focused more on the adventures. Listening to 11 compact discs to hear the entire story is quite an odyssey itself, so if you don't have a lot of time, the movie will save you a few hours.The recording is about 12.5 hours in comparison with 165 minutes for the movie. There are many differences between the movie and the recorded book version. For one, Odysseus' son leaves to look for his father early in the original story and in the movie, he seems to leave much later. The movie focuses more on the suitors and sailors.The adventures of Odysseus are dramatic, exciting and interesting even to a contemporary audience. It is a story of a great warrior who is cursed by the gods and must wander the seas for years after the Trojan War.It is also a story of how a man wishes to return home to his faithful wife all while he is "forced" to enjoy the pleasures of the islands. Although goddesses of great beauty take care of him in the islands, he does not seem to really enjoy being away from home.Odysseus seems to have a girlfriend on every island and yet we forgive him and admire his wife. While he is enjoying the pleasures of the islands, his wife sits at home defending her very existence from a group of suitors bent on pursuing her to the end of time.When considering a critical analysis of this movie, I had to look at the "acting" and "special effects." There is beautiful scenery in Turkey and of course you have ships at sea and goddesses and gods causing havoc with the humans. Some of the more complex scenes were filmed in Malta. This was where they had a huge tank set up for the sea adventures. What they did with the special effects is pretty impressive.The acting gets better as the story progresses. What you will notice is some "overacting" when the characters emphasis their emotions so strongly that the effect only causes you to laugh. Imagine a bunch of wrestlers hugging and crying. Yes, that funny. You should not be laughing when characters are crying, however, that is the effect because the overplaying of emotions becomes almost comical.Andrei Konchalovsky's obviously had a vision for how he wanted the emotions to be played out onscreen although I think he dipped too far into extravagance and the viewer might consider it more insincere than tragic. However, if you consider how the individuals really might have acted, this is perhaps more true to ancient life. It is true that in the original Odyssey, men cry pitifully (passionate sobbing) and show their feminine side freely.I especially loved seeing all the gods and goddesses in the movie. I loved Isabella Rossellini as the "clear eyed" goddess Athena. She was definitely a highlight in this movie. It seems she is rather fond of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca (Armand Assante) and with a twinkle in her eye, she sends him off to be brave. Her eyes are just amazingly beautiful in this movie. Some of the goddesses in this movie had dark hair and in the original they were "fair-haired" goddesses.There is a creative use of waves to display the anger of Poseidon when Odysseus doesn't give the gods credit for his successes. He is cursed and must wander on the ocean until the end of time.Another highlight is the horse and ships. The Trojan Horse makes its appearance and is very well made, as are all the ships which were built in England. You will also be amazed by the special effects in Hades. As Odysseus descends into "hell/Hades" he is almost overwhelmed with the heat.Some of the most bloody scenes I've ever seen occur in this movie, although they are not quite "horror." Imagine bodies being gobbled up by hungry sea creature and blood splattering on a wooden deck or a Cyclops tearing a body apart to devour it. Because it happens during the daytime, the effect is not as intense.The scenes in Troy are also fairly violent. There is also a fairly long scene at the end where men are locked up in a room and systematically slaughtered. This is for revenge so seems to have a point.What I kept waiting for was a scene where Odysseus is bound to the ship's mast as the sirens call to him and his men. This is a very short section in the original story, so they must have felt it was not as significant. However, it would have been spectacular on film.Recommended to those who love Greek Mythology or who want to have a visual reference in your mind when ready or listening to the translation of The Odyssey by Homer.If you are trying to decide if you like the Odyssey or the Iliad: The ending of the Odyssey is much more romantic and there is far more romance and beauty in the Odyssey. The Iliad ending will appeal more to men and the story seems to contain more "war" violence and has a much more definite focus on war.Main message of this movie seems to be: "Man is nothing without the gods" or "never give up on your dream no matter if the gods try to stop you, you are captain of your fate in the end."The movie is more entertaining than listening to 12.5 hours of an Audio Book, yet if you watch the movie and then listen to the Audio Book, it takes on a new meaning. You then have a visual reference for all the adventure sections. I can recommend the movie for that aspect alone.~The Rebecca Review

"Mr. Noteboom"?? Are we supposed to take that name seriously? Anyway, please disregard the negative reviews you may have seen elsewhere at Amazon. This movie really is one of the top two or three mini-series/TV movies I've ever seen, the others being "Gulliver's Travels", "Merlin" and, while I couldn't follow the plot to save me, the art direction for "The Magic Legend of the Leprechauns" was unlike ANYTHING you've ever seen! I hate to admit it. but NBC was really on a roll back then! However, they were overreaching by the time "The 10th Kingdom" came out.This is the classic story of Odysseus/Ulysses and his trip back from the Trojan War that is delayed for 20 years by his own hubris and the incompetency and mischief of his sailing crew. Armand Assante parlays this role well, and as far as I'm concerned, is the most "Italian" Italian-American actor I've seen in my years of watching TV and movies. His way works for ancient Greeks too, as the accent he uses, borrowed from his own background, makes you feel as if you are indeed watching the adventures of an ancient Mediterranean soldier and his men returning to their home in Ithaca.The producers of this well-directed and produced gem help also, by assembling some of the best art directors, actors and locales for this gift from Newton Minnow-land that they could get. One of the great little cameos in this movie is the one made by Michael J. Pollard as Aeolus, God of the Wind. He plays the part like an impish leprechaun who wants to teach his bullying brother Poseidon a lesson by helping Odysseus, who is in the mess he's in because he initially OFFENDED Poseidon with his boast that he didn't need the gods to do what he did in winning the battle in Ilium. The upshot of Aeolus' help?: Aeolus gives Odysseus a bag filled with a powerful wind and is told not to open it unless absolutely necessary. His foolish crew, and they are generally portrayed AS buffoons, opens the bag just as they approach Ithaca, and are blown way off course as the tornado within Aeolus' gift bag is released!Other good performances in this movie, (besides the myriad of excellent bit parts by various character actors,) are: Greta Sacchi as Penelope, Odysseus' "wife"; Isabella Rossellini as Athena, his guardian angel; Irene Papas as his mother and Bernadette Peters as Circes, the sorceress who "bewitches" his crew by turning them into animals. And yet again, her nibs, Geraldine Chaplin, a woman whose taste in movies to play minor roles in is impeccable, is also in here as one of Penelope's most trusted servants. You'll love the guy playing the musician in Odysseus' crew! Isabella Rossellini, however, is a charmer of the first water. This woman has more charisma than the goddess she's portraying, as far as I'm concerned. Between that innocent, plaintive voice, those big aquamarine eyes, those continental features, and that gentle way she inherited from her mother, Ingrid Bergman, she just has "it" in bags! She should really think about starring in larger regular features, instead of the art house fare she's usually in. She shines in both this mini-series and "Merlin", in which she has a much larger role. Her gamin-like quality truly comes out in the Arthurian drama, produced by the same people.To top this all off, there's TWO of her!! Ms. Rossellini actually has a twin sister! The Lord worketh in mysterious ways!Make no mistake, there is a warmth, a definite "sangre", to this production, that is wholly missing from just about any other TV movie I can remember. There is definite humor...feelings of love and loyalty and all around good acting are involved here.Most of the scenes from the original Homerian epic are in here, but a notable absence is that of the ship encountering the Sirens and Odysseus being tied to the ship's mast so he won't fall prey to their lure, perhaps the most famous scene FROM the poem. What was the director thinking when he left this out? The scenes in Hades are also excellent, as you really are put in a gloomy, somewhat eerie mood by the effects, and the long-awaited tableau of the return of the warrior to his beloved Ithaca and the dispatching of his rivals for Penelope's affections are also done well.Who is this Professor "Noteboom", anyway....is he any relation to Corrie Ten-Boom??

Adequate but uninspiring record of most of The Odyssey but with confusions (Circe wasn't a lotus eater) and inaccuracy (7 years with Calypso not 10, and one year with Circe not five). No Sirens. The Polyphemus episode is poorly executed but Scylla and Charybdis done quite well. Hard to see who it is aimed at - too hammy for adults and too long/gory/boring for kids (12A anyway). Penelope, central to the story, comes across as insipid and peripheral. The complexities of Odysseus' relationships with two enchantresses while supposedly pining for his wife are not explored at all. Like us, the Greeks (actually Achaeans at this period) said one thing and did another. Lost opportunity to explore all that.

There are several Greek myth versions about and made for television. Remember when Xena and Hercules were big news and everywhere? Okay this is not the cartoon style that those had. Granted it is not serious drama either. But viewing wise it is nice to watch if you are undisturbed. Some great actors acting. And story is presented in a good way. If you have studied classics then you are going to find fault. So suspend reality.Nice locations and some interesting thoughts on how things happened.I have to admit being biased towards these. Memories of a long Sunday and this on... was good. So I like it. A good way into classical mythology.

A thoroughly enjoyable and faithful version of Homer’s classic. This made-for-TV movie does lack the dazzling effects of Hollywood productions (though it’s effects are still good), and some of the supporting actors are a little hit and miss in my opinion – though Christopher Lee is wonderful in his brief scene– this is an excellent film, and far closer to the original material than the big Hollywood epics like the recent and disappointing “Troy”. This version of the Odyssey does have a few flaws, and there are some cuts in the story, no doubt for time reasons, but it still is well worth a look, is totally enjoyable, and is a worthy addition to any collection.

This story of the wanderings of Odysseus after the fall of Troy sticks very close to the original saga. It has a great feel of an old story and has not been intruded on by somebody's attempt to modernise it. The main parts are played by well-known actors who bring their characters to life, and Armand Assante as Odysseus is superb. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves the old myths as an original fantasy adventure.

Delivery was fine. DVD works always. Great to watch on the holidays.