Product: The Odyssey [VHS] (1997)
Rating: 4.0
Overall, pretty well done
This film can be broken up into 3 parts. The first 2 parts detail scenes from Homer's ILIAD and Virgil's AENEID. The 3rd part, as is likely surmised, covers stories taken from Homer's ODYSSEY. The latter comprises 90% of the film.The weakest part of the film is early section of ILIAD material. For one, the actor who plays Achilles is simply not big enough or brawny enough to be believable as what was supposed to be the greatest warrior who ever lived. Even worse, his showdown with the Trojan champion Hector (one of the climactic scenes from the ILIAD) is sadly disappointing. It would have been better to omit this episode altogether rather than water it down as much as they did.As a minor criticism, it is unfortunate that the audience of the film is never told WHY all of Greece went to war with Troy. No mention is made of Paris' abduction of Helen of Laconia. The movie makes it seem like the Greeks one day just got up and arbitrarily decided to invade Troy. The Trojan's violation of Xenia is not divulged as a just reason for the actions of the Greeks.Those criticisms aside, the rest of the movie is splendid, for the most part. The episode of the Trojan horse (from the AENEID) is well done and follows Virgil fairly closely. The TELEMACHIA is touched on with brevity, but it is included. And, of course, Odysseus' famous adventures in "la la land" are there for all to see.Armand Assante is a good pick as the clever and sagacious king of Ithica. He is a great warrior, but not the best. He's a man who tends to rely much more on insidious cunning than brute strength. His feud with Poseidon is brought out nicely, and the depiction of Poseidon is very impressive.This film is highly recommended for those who have read Homer, those who have not read Homer & those who've not yet read the Greek bard, but someday want. The special effects on the DVD are dazzling & bring Greek mythology to life (particularly the Underworld sequence). The epic poem is recommended to all as well. However, if you don't ever get around to reading it, this film does do a credible job of capturing some of the flavor and magic of a classic work that is over 2,500 years old.