Product: The Odyssey [VHS] (1997)
Rating: 3.0
A Wasted Voyage
Although the book version of the Odyssey was capturing, the movie was rather disappointing because they left out quite a few scenes and changed the story a bit in some parts, which made it rather dull.The movie begins as Odysseus son, Telemachus, Alan Stenson, is being born. Soon afterwards, he is drafted into the Trojan War for 11 years. He thinks he defeated the Trojans because of his crafty idea. However this angers the gods and curses his voyage home. Odysseus, Armand Assante, and his crew face many difficult trials and are away from home for almost 20 years. When they finally return, many suitors are trying to marry his faithful wife, Penelope, Greta Scacchi, and take over his land. Odysseus eventually reclaims his family and pride.The book and movie versions of the Odyssey are similar in some ways. For example the war at Troy, the cursed voyage, the Cyclops encounter, detainment on Circe's Island, the sea monsters, and Odysseus final return to Ithaca, his home, to drive away the suitors are in both the book and movie.However, there are quite a few differences, or things they left as well. For example, while on his way to free his men from Circe, Hermes tells him he will lay with her before hand, but leaves out that he should make her promise not to play any tricks on him. In addition, Circe does not warn Odysseus of the monsters or sirens. (Or what to do when facing them.) However, when Odysseus enters the underworld as commanded by Circe, a dead prophet warns him of only the 6-headed monster. After speaking with the prophet, Odysseus does not return to Circe as he did in the book, but goes on to face the monsters. Odysseus and his crew don't pass the sirens in the movie and while facing the six-headed monster, offer a goat as a sacrifice and everyone but Odysseus is lost to it. In the book, the men are killed by Zeus because they at the cattle of Helios, the sun god. One of the final differences is at the very end. The book gives a deep description of Odysseus getting rid of his maidservants for not being loyal and laying with the suitors. However, the movie leaves this out.I believe the differences overrule the similarities and are pretty much the same as the good and bad qualities of the movie. The good things are the similarities, and the bad are the differences. My recommendation is to read the Odyssey because it is a good book with very detailed descriptions of the characters and adventures made. However, the movie should be viewed only if there is nothing else to watch or it is part of an assignment.