Ulysses' gaze (To vlemma tou odyssea)
Threat advisory: Guarded - General risk of entertaining activities
Movie propaganda
A spectacular epic, a modern rendition of Homer's Odyssey, from one of Europe's last great film-makers, Theo Angelopoulos. A Greek film-maker known just as A (Harvey Keitel) exiled to the USA, returns to his native Ptolemais to attend a special screening of one of his extremely controversial films. But his 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. Along the way, he encounters his own history, the Balkan past and women whom he could love. He hopes to find, in these forgotten pictures, the innocence of a virgin gaze.
"Why A? It's an alphabetical, autobiographical choice. Every filmmaker remembers the first time he looked through the viewfinder of a camera. It is a moment which 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.
Persons of interest
- Harvey Keitel .... A
- Erland Josephson .... S
- Maia Morgenstern .... Ulysses' wife
- Thanassis Vengos .... Taxi driver
- Yorgos Michalakopoulos .... Friend and Journalist
- Dora Volanaki .... Old Woman
- Mania Papadimitriou
- Tonino Guerra .... Screenwriter
- Homer .... Poet: The odyssey
- Petros Markaris .... Screenwriter
- Giorgio Silvagni .... Screenwriter
- Kain Tsitseli .... Screenwriter
- Theo Angelopoulos .... Screenwriter
- Theo Angelopoulos .... Director
Cinematic intelligence sources
- Awards and film festivals:
- Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards 1999: Won: Silver Condor Best Foreign Film (Theo Angelopoulos)
- Camerimage International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography 1995: Nominated: Golden Frog (Yorgos Arvanitis)
- Cannes Film Festival 1995: Won: FIPRESCI Prize (Theo Angelopoulos), Grand Prize of the Jury (Theo Angelopoulos
- European Film Awards 1995: Won: FIPRESCI Prize (Theo Angelopoulos)
- French Syndicate of Cinema Critics 1996: Won: Critics Award - Best Foreign Film (Theo Angelopoulos - Greece)
- Goya Awards 1997: Nominated: Best European Film (Theo Angelopoulos - Greece/France/Italy)
- Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists 1996: Won: Silver Ribbon Best Director - Foreign Film (Theo Angelopoulos)
- Mainichi Film Concours 1997: Won: Best Foreign Language Film (Theo Angelopoulos)
- Sant Jordi Awards 1997: Won: Best Foreign Film (Theo Angelopoulos)
- NB: Greek language dialogue with English language subtitles
- Studios and distributors:
Intelligence analyst
Special Agent Matti
Theatrical report
11 ways to know if you are watching Great Art™:
- There are subtitles.
- It is filmed in a language no-one understands.
- It is set in a place no-one ever heard of.
- It has Harvey Keitel in it.
- It has Harvey Keitel in it with no clothes on.
- It has Harvey Keitel in it having sex.
- It has very pretty young women in it, falling in love and having sex with Harvey Keitel.
- The characters wander about in a daze, as if they don't know what's happening.
- The audience sits in a daze as if they don't know what's happening.
- There are a whole bunch of striking images where you don't know what's happening.
- It's as boring as all get out.
Media intelligence (DVD)
- Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
- Languages: Greek
- Picture: Widescreen
- Special features:
- Galleries: Stills
- Trailers: Theatrical
- Subtitles: English
Security censorship classification
M (Adult themes, low level violence)
Surveillance time
173 minutes (2:53 hours)
Not for public release in Australia before date
Film: 18 September 1997
DVD retail: 29 March 2006
Cinema surveillance images
