Product: The Odyssey [VHS] (1997)
Rating: 5.0
When The Gods Are No Longer Needed
What happens when mankind begins to look within himself for guidance and the meaning of life rather than outwardly towards some personification of divinity or abstract supernatural power?This is the authentic journey of adventure and discovery awaiting Odysseus in this excellent made for television mini-series. It's not the epic wars of men, nor the destructive natural forces with which he must contend. It's not even the capricious whims of the Gods, Goddesses and assorted monsters populating the mythical landscape of ancient Greece and the surrounding Mediterranean. They are all nothing more than the externalization of ongoing internal processes yet to be resolved within the human soul.When Odysseus, King of Ithica sails off to war he does so with more in mind than just honoring a treaty between kings. He is seeking something more personal and lasting, he is in search of immortality. Greatness in battle was to be the vehicle by which he hoped to achieve this goal. Endeavoring to prove himself to be a God among men, he hoped to so impress the Gods of Olympus with feats of valor that he would be accepted into their eternal company.However when the God's turn on Odysseus for his hubris he becomes angry and begins to re-evaluate man's need for Gods' at all. As he struggles for the next ten years to find his way back to his wife Penelope and son he slowly begins to see through lifes' veil of illusion and eventually discovers that his path to eternal life was waiting for him back in Ithica all along. True immortality is found only within familial love and the continuation of that part of yourself that lives on in your sons and daughters. When he finally makes it home he must face one last threat to ensure the perpetuation of his legacy.The special effects are extremely well done, specially for a made-for-television production and the Mediterranean scenery is absolutely breathtaking. My two favorite sequences in the film are the ghostly vision of Hades counterbalanced by the incredibly beautiful Isle of Calypso. Armand Assante is fantastic as the brave, yet introspective Odysseus and Greta Scacchi is perfect for the part of the beautiful, long suffering Penelope. What really sets this movie apart and makes it so special is Director Andrei Konchalovsky's ability to give the viewer more than just a classic action/adventure. He delivers an insightful examination into the soul of the mythic Odysseus as he searches for the true meaning of life.