''The Odyssey'' is a 1997 American

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...

– adventure television miniseries based on the ancient Greek epic poem by

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

, the ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Iliad'', ...

''. Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, the miniseries aired in two parts beginning on May 18, 1997, on NBC. It was filmed in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

, parts of England and many other places around the Mediterranean, where the story takes place. The cast includes Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, Irene Papas, Isabella Rossellini, Bernadette Peters,

Eric Roberts Eric Anthony Roberts (born April 18, 1956) is an American actor. His career began with a leading role in '' King of the Gypsies'' (1978) for which he received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. He was nominated again at the Golden Globes ...

, Geraldine Chaplin, Jeroen Krabbé, Christopher Lee and Vanessa Williams. At the 49th Primetime Emmy Awards the series won the award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Special.Emmys.com list of 1997 Nominees & Winners
/ref>

Plot

Part 1

Odysseus ( Armand Assante), the king of the ancient Greek kingdom of

Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...

, is called to service in the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans ( Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...

after the birth of his son Telemachus, much to the dismay of his wife Queen Penelope ( Greta Scacchi). Odysseus is worried that he may not return, and tells Penelope that she should remarry by the time Telemachus is a man if he does not return. The war lasts ten years, during which Greece's best soldier,

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pe ...

(

Richard Trewett Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'str ...

), is killed and the Greeks avenge him by using a giant horse to sneak inside and destroy the city of Troy. Laocoön ( Heathcote Williams) tries to warn the Trojans of a vision of this, but is suddenly devoured by a

sea monster Sea monsters are beings from folklore believed to dwell in the sea and often imagined to be of immense size. Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or tentacled beasts. They can be slimy and scaly and are o ...

. Odysseus' ego gets the best of him and he tells the gods that he did it himself, which angers

Poseidon Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as ...

(voiced by Miles Anderson) so much that he promises to make Odysseus' journey home to Penelope nearly impossible, mentioning that it was he who sent the sea monster to devour Laocoön. Odysseus and his men initially stop on an island dominated by one-eyed giants, the Cyclopes. A gargantuan Cyclops named

Polyphemus Polyphemus (; grc-gre, Πολύφημος, Polyphēmos, ; la, Polyphēmus ) is the one-eyed giant son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes described in Homer's ''Odyssey''. His name means "abounding in songs and ...

(

Reid Asato Reid is a surname of Scottish origin. It means "red". People with the surname * Alan Reid (disambiguation) * Alex Reid (disambiguation), includes Alexander Reid * Amanda Reid, Australian Paralympic athlete * Amanda Reid (taxonomist), Austral ...

) traps them in his cave intending to eat them, but Odysseus gets him drunk on wine, causing him to pass out. Then, he sharpens a tree branch into a stake and blinds Polyphemus, allowing them to escape by hiding under sheep skins when he removes the heavy stone door. Polyphemus screams for help, but Odysseus had tricked him into stating that his name was " Nobody", so the Cyclops is shouting that nobody has tricked him, arousing no suspicion. Odysseus and his men escape, but Odysseus brashly taunts the Cyclops who asks his father Poseidon to avenge him. This makes Odysseus' journey home harder. Odysseus travels to an island where

Aeolus In Greek mythology, Aeolus or Aiolos (; grc, Αἴολος , ) is a name shared by three mythical characters. These three personages are often difficult to tell apart, and even the ancient mythographers appear to have been perplexed about which A ...

(

Michael J. Pollard Michael J. Pollard (born Michael John Pollack Jr.; May 30, 1939 – November 20, 2019) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as C.W. Moss in the film ''Bonnie and Clyde'' (1967), which earned him critical acclaim along with nomi ...

) provides him with a bag of wind to help him home, instructing him to open it when he gets close to Ithaca. One of his men opens it prematurely, blowing them off course. Next, they stop at the island of

Circe Circe (; grc, , ) is an enchantress and a minor goddess in ancient Greek mythology and religion. She is either a daughter of the Titan Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse or the goddess Hecate and Aeëtes. Circe was renowned for her vas ...

( Bernadette Peters), a beautiful witch, who turns his men into animals and blackmails him into sleeping with her. Odysseus is told of Circe's magic by

Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orat ...

(

Freddy Douglas Freddy or Freddie may refer to: Entertainment *Freddy (comic strip), a newspaper comic strip which ran from 1955 to 1980 *Freddie (Cromartie), a character from the Japanese manga series''Cromartie High School'' *Freddie (dance), a short-lived 1960 ...

), who helps him avoid being transformed as well. Circe tells him to go to the

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwo ...

next, and only then does Odysseus realize that he has actually been tricked by Circe, who put a spell on him so he stayed on the island for five years instead of five days. Odysseus digs his ship out of the sand and tide and sails to the Underworld.

Part 2

Arriving at the Underworld, Tiresias ( Christopher Lee) torments Odysseus, recognizing his courage and wit, but criticizing his ego and foolishness. After Odysseus sacrifices a goat into the River Styx, Tiresias tells him that the only way home will take him past a treacherous isle where Scylla (sea monster) and Charybdis (tidal pool) live. As he is running in terror from the underworld, he meets his mother Anticlea ( Irene Papas), who committed suicide due to the pain of losing her son. She informs him that back on Ithaca there are multiple suitors, including

Eurymachus The name Eurymachus (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρύμαχος ''Eurúmakhos'') is attributed to the following individuals: ''Mythology'' * Eurymachus, son of Hermes and father of Eriboea, mother of the Aloadae. *Eurymachus, a prince of the Phlegyes ...

(

), vying with each other to marry Penelope for her money and power. Odysseus' boat nears the isle of Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla's six serpentine heads wreak havoc on the crew, killing many. Everyone but Odysseus is killed when Charybdis creates a whirlpool and destroys his ship. Odysseus arrives on the island where the goddess Calypso ( Vanessa Williams) lives and becomes her prisoner. Meanwhile, Odysseus' now 15-year-old son Telemachus (

Alan Stenson Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname *Alan (given name), an English given name **List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' *Al ...

) tries to find his father and is told by

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of v ...

( Isabella Rossellini) to travel to

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referr ...

and seek out one of his former comrades that fought with him. When Telemachus finds

Menelaus In Greek mythology, Menelaus (; grc-gre, Μενέλαος , 'wrath of the people', ) was a king of Mycenaean (pre- Dorian) Sparta. According to the ''Iliad'', Menelaus was a central figure in the Trojan War, leading the Spartan contingent of ...

( Nicholas Clay), one of Odysseus' comrades, he learns that Menelaus doesn't know what happened to Odysseus but believes him to be dead. Two years later, Hermes arrives, telling Calypso to release Odysseus, and she provides him with a raft to get to Ithaca. Another storm causes problems for Odysseus as he calls out to Poseidon, who reminds Odysseus about what he said the day he left Troy, and to remember his place as a mere mortal. The next morning, Odysseus washes ashore and is found by some Phaeacians girls. With help from Phaeacian King

Alcinous In Greek mythology, Alcinous (; Ancient Greek: Ἀλκίνους or Ἀλκίνοος ''Alkínoös'' means "mighty mind") was a son of Nausithous and brother of Rhexenor. After the latter's death, he married his brother's daughter Arete who ...

( Jeroen Krabbé), they help Odysseus back to Ithaca. They deliver him at night while he is fast asleep, to a hidden harbor on Ithaca. Upon awakening the next morning, he finds himself on Ithaca where is reunited with Telemachus. Using a peasant disguise provided by Athena, Odysseus meets up with Penelope where she decides to hold a contest to find the person who can string Odysseus' bow. After Odysseus wins the contest, Athena lifts his disguise and Odysseus is assisted by Telemachus in slaying Eurymachus and the suitors. Once the suitors are dead, Odysseus is finally reunited with Penelope.

Cast

* Armand Assante as Odysseus * Greta Scacchi as Penelope * Geraldine Chaplin as

Eurycleia In Greek mythology, Eurycleia ( Ancient Greek: Εὐρύκλεια ''Eurýkleia''), or Euryclea (; also known as Antiphata (Ἀντιφάτη ''Antipháte'') in other traditions), is the daughter of Ops and granddaughter of Peisenor, as well as t ...

* Jeroen Krabbé as

* Christopher Lee as Tiresias * Irene Papas as Anticlea * Bernadette Peters as

* Isabella Rossellini as

* Vanessa Williams as Calypso * Nicholas Clay as

* Adoni Anastassopoulos as Perimides *

Paloma Baeza Paloma Baeza (born 1 May 1975) is a British actress and director of English and Mexican heritage. Her 2017 film ''Poles Apart'' won the BAFTA for best animated short film in 2018. Biography Baeza was born in London and spent her childhood in Me ...

as Melanthe * Ron Cook as Eurybates *

* Mark Hill as Orsilochus * Pat Kelman as Elatus *

Vincenzo Nicoli Vincenzo Nicoli (born 27 July 1958) is a British actor who appears in film, television and theatre. He is best known for roles in blockbuster films, such as Alan Jude in the 1992 science fiction film '' Alien³'' (1992), Enrico Biscaglia in the ...

as Antinous *

Sally Plumb Sally may refer to: People *Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name Military *Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port *Sally, the Allied reporting nam ...

as Arete (Queen Alcinous) * Roger Ashton-Griffiths as

Polites Polites is the name of two characters in Greek mythology of the Trojan War, and a genus of butterflies. *Polites (friend of Odysseus) is a Greek warrior in the '' Iliad.'' *Polites (prince of Troy) is a Trojan killed by Neoptolemus In Greek my ...

Katie Carr Katie Carr (born London, 1973) is an English actress and model. She may be best known for her appearances in ''Dinotopia'' as Marion and in ''Heroes'' as Caitlin Caitlin () is a female given name of Irish origin. Historically, the Irish na ...

as Nausicaa * Marius Combo as Agelaus * Alan Cox as Elpenor * William Houston as

Anticlus In Greek mythology, Anticlus ( Ancient Greek: Ἄντικλος ''Antiklos''), son of Ortyx, was one of the Greek warriors who hid inside the Trojan Horse during the siege of Troy. Mythology When the wooden horse was taken within the city, Hele ...

Oded Levy Oded is a Hebrew name meaning "encouragement". People with the name Oded: *Oded Baloush, Israeli footballer *Oded Brandwein (born 1988), Israeli-Polish professional basketball player in the Israeli Premier League *Oded Burla (1915–2009), Israeli ...

as Leocrites *

Peter Page Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

as Philoetius *

as Telemachus * Stewart Thompson as Antiphus *

Tony Vogel Antony Leslie 'Tony' Vogel (29 June 1942 – 27 July 2015) was an English actor. He played Andrew in the mini-series of Franco Zeffirelli's ''Jesus of Nazareth'' (1977), Aquila in '' A.D. Anno Domini'' (1985) and the title role in the 1979 tel ...

Eumaeus In Greek mythology, Eumaeus (; Ancient Greek: Εὔμαιος ''Eumaios'' means 'searching well') was Odysseus' swineherd and friend. His father, Ktesios son of Ormenos was king of an island called Syra (present-day Syros in the Greek islan ...

* Heathcote Williams as Laocoön, a soothsayer *

Michael Tezcan Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

as Eurylochus *

Richard Truett Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'str ...

Yorgo Voyagis Yorgo Voyagis ( el, Γιώργος Βογιατζής, Giorgos Vogiadzis ; born 6 December 1945) is a Greek actor. Career as an actor Voyagis' film debut was in Michael Cacoyannis's ''Zorba the Greek'' (1964). He reappeared three years later in ...

as King Agamemnon * Peter Woodthorpe as Mentor *

Derek Lea Derek is a masculine given name. It is the English language short form of ''Diederik'', the Low Franconian form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "people- ruler". Common variants of the name ...

as Hektor * Frederick Stuart as

* Miles Anderson as

(voice) * Alan Smithie as King Priam of Troy *

Vernon Dobtcheff Vernon Dobtcheff (born 14 August 1934) is a British actor, best known for his roles on television and film, he has acted in numerous stage productions. Biography Dobtcheff was born in Nîmes, France, of Russian descent. He attended Ascham Pre ...

as Aegyptus * Josh Maguire as Young Telemachus

Filming

Special effects

The creature effects for this miniseries were provided by

Jim Henson's Creature Shop Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a special/visual effects company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The company is based out of Burbank, California, United States. History Jim Henson's Creature Shop was originally ...

where they used a talking animatronic pig roasting on a spit, a CGI for Scylla, a rod puppet sea slug-like

that devours Laocoön, and the full-bodied version of

. The boat used in the series was reused a few years later for the '' Jason and the Argonauts'' miniseries.

Rating

MPAA The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distrib ...

rated this film PG-13 for violent sequences and some sensuality.

References

External links

* *
Hallmark Entertainment: The Odyssey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odyssey (miniseries), The 1990s American television miniseries American Zoetrope films Sonar Entertainment miniseries Films set in the Mediterranean Sea Greek and Roman deities in fiction Films based on classical mythology Films directed by Andrei Konchalovsky Films scored by Eduard Artemyev Films set in ancient Greece Films set in Greece Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series Television shows based on the Odyssey Australian action adventure films Agamemnon