Product: The Odyssey [VHS] (1997)
Rating: 4.0
Successful Rendition of Homer's Classic
There is a definite "Hollywood" flavor to Homer's classic, but The Odyssey comprises much of the story and, yet, keeps the viewer engaged with visual special effects. Approximately 3 hours in length, this film embodies the main aspects of Homer's story without getting too detailed. Perhaps many people didn't care much for this film because it is not completely accurate to the story. It seems to me that many of the parts that were altered were minor in nature and, in general, didn't affect the overall quality of the film. The producers of The Odyssey seemed to be wary of accuracy when it came to telling the major points of the story.The casting was great. Armand Assante does a good job of portraying the hero, Odysseus. He seems to capture the leadership qualities intended to the journey back to Ithaca. Bernadette Peters is cast as Circe, Vanessa Williams is Calypso, and Isabella Rossellini plays Athena, the goddess of Wisdom, and Greta Scacchi plays Penelope, Odysseus' wife.What makes this particularly a wonderful movie is that it serves two purposes. It teaches the main points of The Odyssey to those who are not familiar with it, and it is a modern adaptation that can be appreciated by the "reluctant" viewers of classics. Encompassed within the film are many of the adventures that Odysseus experiences in Homer's epic poem: the Trojan War, the Trojan Horse, the Cyclops, Hades (the Land of the Dead), Calypso's Island, Circe's Island, The wrath of Poseidon, The Suitors and the Suitor's Challenge, Penelope's Test of Odysseus' faith.Most of the time, visual effects do little to awe me, especially when there is a story to be told. But, imagery and setting aids in creating a true epic feel in The Odyssey. The camera angles of vast sea while they are afloat, the images of the setting sun and moon, the depiction of the God of the Sea, Poseidon, and his angry wrath on Odysseus, the realistic images of The Cyclopes (and other creatures), and the battles between the Greeks and Trojans all serve to establish a "grandiose" effect of the epic poem. All these visuals give the story a "larger than life" feel.Aspects of The Odyssey that were irksome were overdone scenes with Odysseus and his "temptors"-Calypso and Circe. They seemed to drag these out unnecessarily and tried to be a little too "heated" with some of the lines and sexual innuendos. It seemed that they could have edited these more and given more time and effort in another more important aspect of Odysseus adventure-such as his return to Ithaca.What one must take in mind before viewing this and other classics on film is that often it is a "retelling" of the story; this being said, The Odyssey is "almost" accurate. Overall, this is a film that successfully depicts Homer's classic with integrity.Rating: 4 1/2 stars.Also recommended: Jason and The Argonauts, Clash of the Titans