"The Odyssey" (1997) TV series 1997-

Director:

Andrey Konchalovskiy

Writers (WGA):

Andrey Konchalovskiy (teleplay) &
Chris Solimine (teleplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 May 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Drama

Plot:

This lavish small-screen adaptation of Homer's ancient epic--replete with exotic Maltese and Turkish locations...

Plot Keywords:

Voyage | Seduction | Quest | Sword | Impalement

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Armand Assante	...	Odysseus
Greta Scacchi	...	Penelope
Isabella Rossellini	...	Athena
Bernadette Peters	...	Circe
Eric Roberts	...	Eurymachus
Irene Papas	...	Anticleia
Jeroen Krabbé	...	King Alcinous (as Jeroen Krabbe)
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Eurycleia
Christopher Lee	...	Tiresias
Vanessa Williams	...	Calypso
Nicholas Clay	...	Menelaus
Adoni Anastassopoulos	...	Perimedes (as Adoni Anastasse)
Paloma Baeza	...	Melanthe
Ron Cook	...	Eurybates
Reid Asato	...	Cyclops
Mark Hill	...	Orsilicus
Pat Kelman	...	Elatus
Vincenzo Nicoli	...	Antinous
Sally Plumb	...	Queen Alcinous
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Polites
Katie Carr	...	Nausicaa
Marius Combo	...	Agelaus
Alan Cox	...	Elpener
William Houston	...	Anticlus
Oded Levy	...	Leocritus
Peter Page	...	Philotus
Michael J. Pollard	...	Aeolus
Alan Stenson	...	Telemachus
Stuart Thompson	...	Antiphus
Tony Vogel	...	Eumaeus
Heathcote Williams	...	Laocoon
Michael Tezcan	...	Eurylochos
Richard Truett	...	Achilles
Yorgo Voyagis	...	Agamemnon
Peter Woodthorpe	...	Mentor
Derek Lea	...	Hector
Freddy Douglas	...	Hermes
Miles Anderson	...	Poseidon
Alan Smithie	...	Priam
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Aegyptius
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Josh Maguire	...	Young Telemachus
Stewart Scudamore	...	Antiphus (as Stewart C Thompson)
Kresh Novakovic	...	Phonecian Sailor (uncredited)
Max Oddball	...	Greek Juggler (uncredited)

Directed by
Andrey Konchalovskiy		(as Andrei Konchalovsky)

Writing credits (WGA)
Andrey Konchalovskiy		(teleplay) (as Andrei Konchalovsky) &
Chris Solimine		(teleplay)
Homer		(epic poem)

Produced by
Francis Ford Coppola	....	executive producer
Fred Fuchs	....	executive producer
Robert Halmi Sr.	....	executive producer
Dyson Lovell	....	producer
Nicholas Meyer	....	executive producer
Chris Thompson	....	line producer

Original Music by
Eduard Artemev		(as Edward Artemyev)

Cinematography by
Sergey Kozlov		(director of photography) (as Sergei Kozlov)

Film Editing by
Michael Ellis

Production Design by
Roger Hall

Art Direction by
John King		(supervising art director)
Anne Seibel		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Karen Brookes

Costume Design by
Charles Knode

Makeup Department
Jeanette Freeman	....	crowd hair supervisor
Daniel Parker	....	makeup and prosthetics designer
Petra Schaumann	....	hairdresser
Suzanne Stokes-Munton	....	chief hairdresser
Julia Wilson	....	crowd supervisor (1997)
Jeremy Woodhead	....	makeup artist
Marcelle Genovese	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Sarah Love	....	chief hair stylist: second unit (uncredited)
Rosanna Mintoff	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Rossana Parker	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Nikita Rae	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Suzanne Stokes-Munton	....	wig designer (uncredited)

Production Management
Ali Akdeniz	....	production manager: Turkey
Gerry Gore	....	unit manager
Gil Whelan	....	production manager: second unit
Tom White	....	unit manager: Turkey (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Booth	....	third assistant director
Guy Heeley	....	second assistant director
Terry Madden	....	first assistant director: second unit
Rupert Ryle-Hodges	....	first assistant director
Arthur Wooster	....	second unit director
Yagiz Alp Akaydin	....	additional second assistant director (uncredited)
Winston Azzopardi	....	third assistant director: Malta (uncredited)
Harry Boyd	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)
Stephen Cranny	....	first assistant director: second unit (uncredited)
Arzu Goknar	....	local first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
John Allenby	....	property master
Leon Apsey	....	assistant construction manager
Martin Asbury	....	storyboard artist
Brian Bishop	....	scenic artist
Brian Blues	....	supervising carpenter
Michael Boone	....	assistant art director (as Mike Boone)
Dennis Bovington	....	construction manager
Peter Dorme	....	draughtsperson
Frederic Evard	....	stand-by art director
Kevin Fowler	....	supervising stagehand
Barry Gates	....	dressing props
Robert Hill	....	stand-by props
Andrew Holder	....	chief sculptor
Margaret Horspool	....	junior draughtsperson
Len Huntingford	....	art director: Malta
Marat Kim	....	conceptual artist
Paul Kirby	....	standby art director
Sonja Klaus	....	production buyer
Steve Macdonald	....	stand-by props
Christopher Mason	....	supervising painter
Dean Norgate	....	stand-by
Ian Norgate	....	supervising rigger
Norman North	....	stand-by
Paul Nott-Macaire	....	stand-by
Roy O'Connor	....	dressing props (as Roy O'Conner)
Mark Reynolds	....	property storeman
John Wright	....	stand-by
Anthony Caron-Delion	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Frederic Evard	....	art director: Turkey (uncredited)
Dan Frye	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Jody King	....	assistant sculptor (uncredited)
Darren Reynolds	....	chargehand stand-by props: second unit (uncredited)
Andy Thomson	....	art department assistant (uncredited)

Sound Department
Peter Baldock	....	sound editor
Paul Carr	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Casali	....	sound maintenance
Clive Copland	....	boom operator
David Crozier	....	production sound mixer
Gillian Dodders	....	sound editor
Joe Gallagher	....	sound editor
Ben Barker	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Sandy Buchanan	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
John Motyer	....	location sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Terry Bridle	....	special effects technician
Andrew Bunce	....	special effects technician
Richard Conway	....	special effects supervisor
Sam Conway	....	special effects technician
Dave Eltham	....	senior special effects technician (as David Eltham)
Waldo Mason	....	silicone technician
Steve Patton	....	special effects technician (as Steve Paton)
Alan Perez	....	special effects
Nick Smith	....	special effects technician (as Nicholas Smith)
Paul Stephenson	....	special effects modeller
Tim Willis	....	senior special effects technician (as Timothy Willis)
Richard Darwin	....	animatronic model designer (uncredited)
Mark Hunter	....	animatronic designer (uncredited)
Ceri Nicholls	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Matthew Smith	....	special effects crew (uncredited)
John Stephenson	....	creative supervisor: Jim Henson's Creature Shop (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Matthew Cope	....	visual effects coordinator
Timothy Greenwood	....	senior effects editor (as Tim Greenwood)
Scott Griffin	....	coordinator: Framestore
Andy Lomas	....	CGI supervisor
Mike McGee	....	visual effects supervisor
Fiona Walkinshaw	....	producer: Framestore
Andrew Daffy	....	animator (uncredited)
John Fuller	....	animator (uncredited)
Arnon Manor	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Sarah Marchant	....	inferno artist (uncredited)
Roma O'Connor	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Pedro Sabrosa	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Gerry Crampton	....	stunt coordinator
Richard Bradshaw	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rob Inch	....	stunts (uncredited)
Crispin Layfield	....	stunts (uncredited)
Brian Nickels	....	stunts (uncredited)
Shaun Wallace	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Gary Dormer	....	electrical rigger
Chuck Finch	....	gaffer (as Robert 'Chuck' Finch)
Catherine Frift	....	clapper loader
Mike Frift	....	camera operator
Wayne Leach	....	electrician (1997)
Malcolm MacIntosh	....	camera operator: second unit (as Malcolm Mcintosh)
Billy Merrell	....	best boy (as Billy Merrill)
Simon Mills	....	focus puller
Dean Morrish	....	clapper loader
John Payne	....	grip
Martin Shepherd	....	focus puller
Oliver Upton	....	still photographer
Arthur Wooster	....	director of photography: second unit
Darren Bailey	....	remote camera technician (uncredited)
Stephen Finch	....	electrician (uncredited)
Kevin Fraser	....	key grip: second unit (uncredited)
John Gamble	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Alan Grayley	....	additional electrician (uncredited)
Tony Jackson	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Frédéric North	....	pilot: camera helicopter (uncredited)
Simon Werry	....	aerial camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Harry Audley	....	additional casting
Noel Davis	....	casting: U.K.
Lynn Kressel	....	casting
Oded Levy	....	additional casting
Sue Wood	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Paul Colford	....	costume assistant
Steven Kirkby	....	costume supervisor (as Steve Kirkby)
Joe Kowalewski	....	costume assistant (as Josef Kowalewski)
Justine Luxton	....	costume design assistant
William Steggle	....	costume assistant
Allison Wyldeck	....	costume supervisor
Edwin Francis	....	costume coordinator: Rome (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mags Arnold	....	first assistant editor
Olga Grinshpun	....	assistant editor
Nikolai Malakhov	....	lightworks engineer
Asa Shoul	....	telecine colorist (as A. Shoul)
Gary Szabo	....	telecine colorist (as G. Szabo)

Music Department
Amina Annabi	....	vocal coach (as Amina Amabi)
Sean Defeo	....	engineer
Michael Gibbs	....	additional orchestrator (as Mike Gibbs)
Andrew Glen	....	music editor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Malcolm McLaren	....	music consultant
Julian Kershaw	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Kirsty Whalley	....	additional score mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Fatos Akdeniz	....	location manager: Turkey
Marco Assante	....	assistant: Armand Assante
Patricia Barr	....	unit nurse (as Pat Barr)
Jean Bourne	....	script supervisor
Tim Bricknell	....	production assistant
R.H. Davies	....	marine coordinator (as Robin Davies)
Bryon Fear	....	assistant: Dyson Lovell
Muharrem Gulmez	....	assistant location manager: Turkey (as Muko Gulmez)
Alina Gulyaeva	....	assistant: A. Konchalovsky (as Alina Gouliaeva)
Andy Hennigan	....	financial controller
Amrik Heyer	....	additional choreographer
Sarah Hinch	....	production secretary
Lesley Keane	....	contact: London (as Leslie Keane)
Rita Kozma	....	assistant accountant
Blanca Li	....	choreographer
Steve Morphew	....	utility stand-in (as Stephen Morphew)
Gerard Naprous	....	horse master
Tori Parry	....	production coordinator
Steve Ricard	....	utility stand-in
Fiona Richards	....	floor runner
Jonathan Scott	....	floor runner
William Steggle	....	set supervisor
Alistair Thompson	....	assistant accountant
Joyce Turner	....	production coordinator: second unit
Elizabeth West	....	script supervisor: second unit
Ginnette Wilson	....	assistant accountant
Bernice Wright	....	assistant set supervisor
Tim Baish	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Anna Cachia	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Clair Chrysler	....	stand-in: Greta Scacchi (uncredited)
Britt Harrison	....	script consultant (uncredited)
Andrew Litvin	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)
Roger McGowan	....	marine rigger (uncredited)
Katryna Samut-Tagliaferro	....	assistant location manager: Malta (uncredited)
Ahmet T. Uygun	....	assistant location manager: Turkiye (uncredited)
Tom White	....	location assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• American Zoetrope (as American Zoetrope San Francisco)
• Beta Film
• Hallmark Entertainment
• KirchMedia
• Mediaset
• Panfilm (as Pan Film)
• ProSieben Media AG
• Remote Camera Systems
• Skai TV

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1997) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Canadian Television (CTV) (1997) (Canada) (TV) (original airing)
• ProSieben Home (1997) (Germany) (VHS)
• Hallmark Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Alpha Filmes (1998) (Brazil) (all media)
• Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1997) (Canada) (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1997) (Canada) (video)
• Mediaset (Italy)

Special Effects

• Framestore (all digital effects by) (as Framestore - London)
• Jim Henson's Creature Shop (creature effects)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment (uncredited)
• Lightworks  edited on
• Reelsound  sound editing
• Square Sail  marine co-ordination
• Virtual Locality  location management

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violent sequences and some sensuality

Runtime:

176 min (2 parts)

Country:

Italy | UK | Germany | Greece | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | UK:12 (video rating) | USA:PG-13 | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:12 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Malta

Company:

American Zoetrope

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Odysseus sees his time-worn ship half-buried in the sand on Circe's island he is overcome with grief and falls to the ground on his knees. The deep indentation of his knees is already worn into the ground before he actually kneels - either from a previous take, or to protect Armand Assante from hurting his knees.

Quotes:

Poseidon:My goal is not to kill you. You must understand.
Odysseus:What? What?
[shouts]
Odysseus:What do you want me to understand?
Poseidon:That without the gods, man is nothing.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Titans of Newark (2012)

Richly crafted, supremely entertaining epic

This is a fine, beautifully crafted version of Homer's The Odyssey. Armand Assante gives a sterling performance as the King of Ithica, who's journey to return from the siege of Troy leads him on a 20-odd year quest to find his way home to his beloved wife Penelope.

If you have read The Odyssey, you will know what kind of challenge it would have been to adapt it into a coherent film and the filmmakers here did a superb job. In capturing all of the excitement, enticement and rollicking adventure of the epic, they brought to life a superlative story rich in imagination.

Kudos to the fine cast, including Eric Roberts as Eurymachus, Greta Scacchi as Penelope and an arresting cameo by Christopher Lee as the blind prophet Tiresias. Eduard Artemyev melodious score only adds to the epic feel.

Not without flaws (Troy is skimmed by a little too fast, and some of the visual effects are a little clunky), but the human element of the story is well dramatized. A supremely entertaining epic.