Product: The Odyssey [VHS] (1997)
Rating: 4.0
Good movie, but different from the epic. . .
As a 9th grade English teacher who covers substantial portions of The Odyssey every semester in my classes, I always show this movie to my students. Even though some of the monsters are clearly the stuff of lower-budget Hollywood, the acting is noteworthy, and the coverage of the epic as a whole is well-executed. (Covering a story of this magnitude in two hours is no small feat.) Students who struggle with the language of the epic enjoy this visual representation, and it also makes for a good comparison/contrast to the epic, as many scenes are presented differently than they are in the text. For example, the movie moves chronologically, whereas much of the epic is told as flashback. Certain scenes--such as the death of Odysseus's men on Helios's island and Penelope's test of the bed at the end--are omitted, while others--such as the Lotus Eaters and the witch-goddess Circe--are combined. Additionally, the movie portrays Odysseus much more positively and much less flawed than the epic. But all of this makes for excellent discussion with my students, and that's what matters to me. Beyond educational purposes, the movie is fast-paced and enjoyable. Highly recommended.