Ulysses' Gaze (1995)
"To vlemma tou Odyssea" (original title)

A, a Greek filmmaker living in exile in the United States, returns to his native Ptolemas to attend a special screening of one of his extremely controversial films. But A's real interest ... See full summary »

Director:

Theodoros Angelopoulos

Writers:

Theodoros Angelopoulos (screenplay), Tonino Guerra,

Stars:

Harvey Keitel, Erland Josephson, Maia Morgenstern

10 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harvey Keitel	...	A
Erland Josephson	...	S., Film Museum Curator
Maia Morgenstern	...	'Ulysses' Wife
Thanasis Vengos	...	Taxi Driver
Giorgos Mihalakopoulos	...	Friend and Journalist
Costas Santas
Dora Volanaki	...	Old Woman
Mania Papadimitriou
Giorgos Konstas
Thanos Grammenos
Alekos Oudinotis
Angel Ivanof
Ljuba Tadic
Vaggelis Liodakis
Gert Llanaj

Storyline

A, a Greek filmmaker living in exile in the United States, returns to his native Ptolemas to attend a special screening of one of his extremely controversial films. But A's real interest lies elsewhere--the mythical reels of the very first film shot by the Manakia brothers, who, at the dawn of the age of cinema, tirelessly criss-crossed the Balkans and, without regard for national and ethnic strife, recorded the region's history and customs. Did these primitive, never-developed images really exist? If so, where are they? - "Why A? It's an alphabetical choice. Every filmmaker remembers the first time he looked through the viewfinder of a camera. It is a moment that is not so much the discovery of cinema--but the discovery of the world. But there comes a moment when the filmmaker begins to doubt his own capacity to see things, when he no longer knows if his gaze is right and innocent." --Theo Angelopoulos

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Plot Keywords:

balkans | long take | bucharest | holy grail | murder | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Country:

Greece France Italy Germany UK Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Bosnia and Herzegovina Albania Romania

Language:

English Greek Bulgarian Albanian Serbian Romanian Kurdish

Release Date:

1 November 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ulysses' Gaze

Filming Locations:

Belgrade, Serbia

Box Office

Gross:

$42,202 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paradis Films, Basic Cinematografica, Istituto Luce

Technical Specs

Runtime:

176 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There is a scene around the 10th minute where a woman is singing a famous mourning song in Kurdish called "Ahmade Mala Musa (Ahmad of Musa family)". It is maybe referring to Kurdish refugees in Greece.

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Quotes

Niko: The first thing God created was the journey, then came doubt, and nostalgia.

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Connections

Featured in In the Shadow of Hollywood (2000)

User Reviews

A difficult but ultimately rewarding film

Before seeing this film for the first time, I was already familiar with the brilliant CD of the music. I had some idea through the music of what the film portrayed, but was somewhat put off by the three hours devoted to a movie about the Balkans. I just wasn't ready for a drama about this violent and troubling history although I had adored the wonderful film "Before the Rain." Now after viewing the compelling and stunning "Ulysses' Gaze" I can highly recommend both the music and the film. The music and the movie are exquisite partners. The cinematography is truly breathtaking. I was taken with the intense yearning and empathy of Harvey Keitel as the Ulysses of the quest, but especially struck by Maia Morgenstern as the female focus of the film. She is brilliant. And the great Erland Josephson is wonderful to watch. Although the movie is quite long, its richness and unusual perspectives are impressive, thought-provoking, and profound. I think that by the end, as is the main character, the viewer can be wholly changed by this experience.