To vlemma tou Odyssea (1995)

An exiled filmmaker finally returns to his home country where former mysteries and afflictions of his early life come back to haunt him once more.

Director:

Theodoros Angelopoulos (as Thodoros Angelopoulos)

Writers:

Theodoros Angelopoulos (screenplay) (as Thodoros Angelopoulos), Kaii Tsitseli (dialogue translation)

Stars:

Harvey Keitel, Maia Morgenstern, Erland Josephson

11 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harvey Keitel	...	A
Erland Josephson	...	Library Curator
Maia Morgenstern	...	Kali
Thanasis Vengos	...	Taxi Driver
Giorgos Mihalakopoulos	...	Nikos
Dora Volanaki	...	Old Woman
Mania Papadimitriou	...	Mother
Giorgos Konstas	...	Father
Thanos Grammenos	...	Manakias' Assistant
Alekos Oudinotis	...	Greek Film Library Manager
Angel Ivanov	...	Bulgarian Interrogator (as Angel Ivanof)
Ljuba Tadic
Vaggelis Liodakis
Gert Llanaj	...	Little Boy
Agni Vlahou

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:

male nudity | male frontal nudity | balkans | symbolism | sarajevo | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

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

Language:

English Greek Bulgarian Albanian Serbian Romanian Kurdish Macedonian German

Release Date:

1 November 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ulysses' Gaze

Filming Locations:

Korce, Albania

Box Office

Gross USA:

$42,202

Company Credits

Production Co:

Greek Film Center,Mega Channel,Paradis Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

176 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The statue of V.I. Lenin, appearing in the film, was thirty-five meters (one hundred fourteen feet and nine inches) tall.

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Quotes

Taxi Driver: [talking to A] Know something? Greece is dying... We're dying as a people. We've come full circle. I don't know for how many thousands years, among broken stones and statues... and now we're dying. But if Greece is to die, she'd better do it quickly, because the agony lasts too long, and makes too much noise.

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Connections

Referenced in Samy y yo (2002)

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Soundtracks

Paei o palios o hronos
New Year's Folk Song

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.