The odyssey
Year of release : 1997
Run time : 3h
Genre : Adventure / Fantasy / Mini Series
Cast : Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, Vanessa Williams, Eric Roberts, Geraldine Chaplin, Isabella Rossellini, Christopher Lee
The mythology adventure Hallmark 2 part mini series were based on the ancient Greek epic poem of the same name written by Homer.
Written and directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, the mini series were co-produced by American Zoetrope, Francis Ford Coppola’s production company, and Coppola himself.
The movie opens with Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, running to his pregnant wife who gives birth. Right after (on the same day) she gives birth, he is asked by Agamemnon and his brother, Menelaus, to fight with them in the Trojan war. Bound by a blood oath of allegiance and honor to protect Greece, Odysseus joins them.
Leaving, Odysseus is asking his wife, Penelope, to remarry if he doesn’t return by the time his son grows a beard. He also tells her that as long as the tree they build their house on is thriving, she should know he’s alive too.
On his way to Troy, Odysseus prays to Athena, thinking she abandoned him, as he didn’t want to leave his family. Athena appears to him and tells him she knows his heart and knows he wants to be remembered as a great hero, which he will be if he fights in the Trojan war. She tells him to defeat the trojans, and he says he has no fear with her by his side.
In the 7th year of the Trojan war, Achillies died, and after 10 years of war, Odysseus convinced his side there was a way to enter Troy, as they wanted to surrender. So they build the Trojan horse, that the Trojans thought to be an idol for their enemies’ gods.
The Trojans take the Trojan horse, and at night, after celebrating, thinking they’ve won, the Greeks leave the horse and lay siege to Troy.
After winning the war, Odysseus, filled with pride, yells to the gods that he doesn’t need them, for he alone, with his wits conquered Troy.
Poseidon doesn’t like hearing it, saying his snake k1lled the truth sayer when telling the Trojans not to trust the Greeks’ gift. Odysseus says the gods let them spill blood for 10 years instead of helping them. Poseidon tells him he’ll suffer for this offense, and that he’ll sail his seas forever without ever reaching home.
At home, Odysseus’ mother tells Penelope she needs to raise her son to be a king and warrior.
At sea, Poseidon brought fog to Odysseus’ ship, separating it from the other ships, and when they finally find land, with a cave with a large bed and a lot of food, they realize they entered a giant’s layer, when the giant shows up, telling them he is a cyclop, and son of Poseidon.
They soon realize they need to escape, as the cyclop eats one of them.
Odysseus blinds him, and they manage to escape and go back to the ship.
Thirsty and hungry, they reach another island. Odysseus wants to get water, but it keeps on moving away from him, and the god of wind Aeolus appears to him, offering him wind for his sails, telling him not to open the bottle its in.
One of his men, curious and afraid Odysseus found a treasure he doesn’t want to share with him, opens it in the end, the strong winds destroying the ship right when they were so close to home they could see it.
Shipwrecked on an island, a few men are send in reconnaissance. When they see a wild bore and want to eat it, one of the men tells them it’s actually one of them a witch turned into an animal, just like the rest of the men, after he drank her honey wine.
Odysseus goes to see what’s happening, and is helped by Hermes who gives him some grass to eat, so when he drinks Circe’s wine he won’t turn into an animal.
Seeing he didn’t turn into an animal, Circe wants to sleep with him, and after all the men are turned back to people, they spend time in the company of Circe’s maidens.
When Odysseus finally remembers his wife, it’s been 5 years since he’s been at Circe’s palace and in her bed,as one day at her place is a year in real time.
I liked the first part of the movie, but then, as he kept on getting derailed from getting home, it started to lose me and annoy me. He leaves an island and ends up on another. He escapes a goddess and then ends up on another one’s island, unable to leave because she won’t let him!
Penelope is under siege by all these men who see Odysseus didn’t come home, and set camp at her palace, eating and drinking all her food and wine. They refuse to leave, demanding she chooses one of them to marry.
The actors were good.
The visual effects were good.
The soundtrack was good.
The mini series received above 60% positive reviews from the Rotten Tomatoes reviewers, and hold a 7 out of 10 rating on IMDB.
The Odyssey won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Mini Series.
Rating : Could have been a contender !