Odissea 

Odysseus' journey told in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. After fighting in the Trojan War, Odysseus spends years trying to return home to Itaka.

Stars:

Bekim Fehmiu, Leonard Steckel, Constantin Andrieu

Cast

Series cast summary:
Bekim Fehmiu	...	Ulisse 8 episodes, 1968
Leonard Steckel	...	Narrator (German version) 8 episodes, 1968
Constantin Andrieu	...	Antinoo 7 episodes, 1968
Irene Papas	...	Penelope 6 episodes, 1968
Renaud Verley	...	Telemaco 6 episodes, 1968
Barbara Bach	...	Nausicaa 6 episodes, 1968
Marina Berti	...	Arete 5 episodes, 1968
Roy Purcell	...	Alcinoo 5 episodes, 1968
Marcella Valeri	...	Euriclea 4 episodes, 1968
Karl-Otto Alberty	...	Eurimaco 4 episodes, 1968
Constantin Nepo	...	Antinoo 4 episodes, 1968
Ivica Pajer	...	Euriloco 4 episodes, 1968
Petar Buntic	...	Filetore 4 episodes, 1968
Maurizio Tocchi	...	Leocrito 3 episodes, 1968
Andrea Saric	...	Melanto 3 episodes, 1968
Michèle Breton	...	Atena 3 episodes, 1968
Duje Novakovic	...	Elpenore 3 episodes, 1968
Scilla Gabel	...	Elena 2 episodes, 1968
Samson Burke	...	Polifemo 2 episodes, 1968
Corrado Monteforte	...	Anfinomo 2 episodes, 1968
Fausto Tozzi	...	Menelao 2 episodes, 1968
Mimmo Palmara	...	Achille 2 episodes, 1968
Enzo Fiermonte	...	Demodoco 2 episodes, 1968
Gérard Herter	...	Laocoonte 2 episodes, 1968
Igor Sunara	...	Extra, Suitor 2 episodes, 1968

Storyline

Odysseus' journey told in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. After fighting in the Trojan War, Odysseus spends years trying to return home to Itaka.

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Plot Keywords:

greece | greek mythology | greek island | mediterranean sea | odysseus | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

Italy France West Germany

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

24 March 1968 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Avanture odiseja

Filming Locations:

Monte Argentario, Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica,RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana,Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min (theatrical) 55 min (8 episodes) 91 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A Thomas organ was prominently featured on the soundtrack to create special musical effects.

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Goofs

When the bow of Ulysses is taken form the storage room it is clearly strung. Bows have to be stored unstrung or they lose their strength over time (and this one is said to have not been touched for 20 years). As a result the movie deviates from the epic in the essential part that in the epic the bow is useless to the suitors because they are unable to string it (either due to lack of strength or not knowing that a composite bow is strung backwards). The movie on the other hand shows the suitors (rather unconvincingly) unable to simply draw the bow.

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Alternate Versions

The ElleU Multimedia (Rome, Italy) DVD release, on 2 discs, eliminates the initial and final titles of each of the eight parts of the original TV movie (except for the initial titles of the first and for the final titles of the last one), thus presenting the whole series as a single movie. On the contrary, the VHS release, on 3 cassettes, maintains the titles of every single part. This could be the reason for the different running time, leading to the conclusion that the DVD release is not cut.

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Connections

Version of The Odyssey (1997)

User Reviews

Masterpiece - Cinematography at its prime

The Odyssey as a book is a masterpiece of world literature by itself. Sadly enough, every movie version of Homers epic, hardly make any impression on me, and from comments below I can see I'm not the only one.But seeing this version was entirely different experience. I don't know why, but no movie ever awake in me such sense for longing, nostalgic, a feel for time that past by, like this series. I was delighted to find Italian subs for deaf persons & translate it to my native Serbian.Latter, on my vacation on Kefalonia & Ithaca, I'v got desire to translate to English, and partly as a homage to Bekim Fehmiu who commit a suicide at that time in Belgrade. With only few minor diversions from Homer, F. Rossi made this series as best adaptation of any classical work, as by my opinion.Omittion of Scylla & Charibdes was probably due to budget constraints. Also, displacing the episode with Lestrygonians into openings of Odysseus story (& reducing Odysseus fleet to one ship), he cunningly enable himself easier & cheaper (but equally effective) performance.In places where he change Homer (ex.suitors decide to string bow day after failed competition), he does so artistically, that I have impression that even Homer would congratulate him. With obviously only two constructed ships (one large & one small-that of Telemachus), he accurately depicted on of most famous sea voyages in history.Unique depiction of ships, cities, Trojan horse or Odysseus bow just adds to astonishment. Dialogues are special thing in this series:natural, proverbial, romantic & never boring.Actors plays in such manner, that I cant remember anyone who deserves any critic. This series also affect me to look on another works of Franco Rossi. Thus I watch Eneid (1971), which is mostly deficient comparing to his previous work (ie Odissea), but have nice description of destruction of Troy & still its only full film version of Vergil epic.My recommendations.