Ulysses

I have always been a fan of Kirk Douglas, AND, of Homer's two books "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey". So when I saw this film it was, for me, what they call a "two-fer" or two for the price of one. The scenes with Polyphemus still impress me, and yes the comments about the wine not really being wine ( no time to ferment) are understandable, but, they don't really diminish the scene. (Hey, it's the movies). Another thing about ANY of these Italian movies, from this one to the traditional "Hercules" movies, is where do they find all those GORGEOUS women?. YIKES!!. I also love the scenes between the witch Circe, and Ulysses, there is a faint green glow the lighting designer bathes Circe with, to make her seem more "spooky". All in all this is a great movie for those who like Greco-Roman mythology, or Italian sword and sandal films, or even if you are a big Kirk Douglas fan!. BTW, look for a young Anthony Quinn, and remember that these two men would join up again later in "Lust for Life". So sit back and enjoy a 2500 year old story that seems as fresh and exciting as any story you see today, maybe even more so!. Pssst sorry NO GCI!

Kirk Douglas saves the film from otherwise becoming too languid. The director may have thought he was directing an "epic", but should've just realized he had another sword and sandle flick on his hands. The scenes which re-tell Ulysses journey are the best parts. Oh, and the end is kick ass as well. But again, without Douglas...

I saw this movie in the fifties at the little local theatre. There was the dashing Kirk Douglas, the frightening Anthony Quinn, the story of the deeds of the great Odysseus (Ulysses). When I bought my used copy and watched it again, I was devastated. I've always had trouble with Kirk Douglas anyway, but this dull, talky waste of time just floored me. I was hoping Douglas would take the wax out of his ears and crash the ship. Everything is so emotive and so pained and there really isn't any fun of this film's contemporaries ("Jason and the Argonauts" and "The 7th Voyage of Sindbad"). Douglas poses, romances, watches dancing girls, tells stories. I agree with a previous writer that the made for TV "Odyssey" was no great prize, but at least something happened once in a while. Another of my childhood memories squashed!!

I just bought a dvd of this film as it was going for under 10 euros and had always been interested in the adventures of Ulysses. I opted as always for the original version on the dvd and was amazed to hear Italian, not English !! I had no idea that Kirk Douglas could speak italian so fluently.......absolutely amazing !! That is, unless the notes on the dvd were incorrect and it wasn't the original version at all but one dubbed into Italian. I suppose we'll never know! I was expecting a better film than what I saw, something of the quality of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, but was rather disappointed with the script, a lot of useless talk and not enough action ! I suppose this is what we can expect of Italian cinema ( the director of the film was italian as were a number of the actors ! ). The picture quality, although announced as Technicolor had too much contrast plus clicks and spots and certainly left to be desired. There was a good passage with the Cyclops, Polyphemus, however, we saw nothing of the sirens and I was desperately looking out for Charybde and Scylla but saw no sign of them. I really thought too much of the story had been omitted and too much time given over to boring soporific chat. Certainly not a film to be recommended !

Any history class which desires to imbue students with imagination, needs this film in their library on Ancient Greece. In 1955 this movie on the wanderings of the Trojan Hero "Ulysses" made it's way across the country. In the professional opinion of many a history teacher, this movie fell far short of being historically accurate, but in it's basic rendition of Homer's classical, it proved a masterpiece. In this version, fans saw the Greek Ithican King as portrayed by Kirk Douglas. For his fans it was a perfect role and one which convinced us, he was indeed a true thespian. Through his legendary encounters with the Titan, Polythemeus, The Sirens of the rocks, and of course, Circe, the witch, he is pitted against all the ancient Gods. But it is his final challenge by the suitors who wish to claim his wife and throne, which is his greatest threat, for they are led by the champion Antinoos (Anthony Quinn), from the island of Encephelonea. Only through a special contest and with the help of Athena, can he regain his kingdom, his wife and his son. This is a classic in its own right and like our hero, has never been equaled. ****

Hello? Like, did movie-audiences back in 1954 really take this cheesy, cheap, badly-acted, Italian, costume drama (with its truly dreadful special effects) seriously? For me, I thought that actor Kirk Douglas, as the title character, was an utterly terrible choice. Wearing his little mini-skirt and sandals outfit, he looked more like a total wimp who actually belonged amongst the women rather than the men. Playing his part with absolutely no conviction, whatsoever, I thought that Douglas completely disgraced the name and the legend of this Greek hero/warrior named Ulysses. And, besides that, I thought that Douglas was far too old (almost 40) to be at all convincing as this supposedly robust, virile and gallant champion of the common man. Douglas' presence in this film did absolutely nothing to improve the overall amateurishness of this less-than-thrilling production. My guess is that Douglas (who was at the very height of his career at this point) was probably paid some really big bucks to appear in this garbage. And, so, with that, how the heck could he have possibly been expected to refuse the part? Ulysses' painfully predictable story, pretty much, contained every single, stinking "Greek Hero" cliché in the book, and then some. And, on top of all that, not one actor in the entire film put in a performance that could be described as anything else but "pure wood". And, the English dubbing was atrocious beyond words. Anyways - On the unintentionally hilarious side of things - The really weird eyes that were painted on the Trojan Horse got a howl-and-a-half of laughter out of me. And, the scene with the doofus Cyclops was so bloody moronic that it's certainly worthy of mention here for the chuckles that it produced, as well. All-in-all - This dumb movie (which had 8 screenwriters backing up its dreadful story) was the purest piece of trash to the 10th power.

In this film there are two absolute beauties, Silvana Mangano (in double role, Circe and Penelope) and a very young Rossana Podestà (Nausicaa), both not only very beautiful but also very talented actresses, which is rare. Big Anthony Quinn doesn't have a great role in this movie, not because he's bad, but because he has an insignificant small part. Kirk Douglas, however, shines sharply in the title role, being credible, funny, dynamic, excellent.

I've seen this one when I was 10...40 years later I can assure you that I Remember every part of it and than it gives me (along with the stories of Moses Ben Hur Jason and Spartacus ) a huge success among the Children and teenagers who have no opportunity to hear such stories who have even more suspense blood and hot pursuits than an average Bruce Willis story ! i just don't care if the movie is a masterpiece or a B-serie : its certainly a fantastic story-teller and that's what it matters.

In this fantasy-adventure based on Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, Kirk Douglas is larger than life in the title role and Silvana Mangano is spellbindingly beautiful in the dual role of Penelope/Circe. Most importantly, the story & script are compelling. The Cyclops sequence is a highlight and the F/X are surprisingly good for 1954. Moreover, the climax when Ulysses is revealed after posing as a beggar is dynamic. Sometimes it's necessary to temporarily kowtow to the arrogant in order to assess the situation and bide your time for an effective strike. In my humble opinion this version is better than the 1997 rendition with Armand Assante, "The Odyssey," because it's more streamlined, lacks the eye-rolling manifestations of the gods and it's hard to beat Douglas' imposing portrayal. However, "The Odyssey" is still worth checking out since the effects are more modern and there are some quality cast members and effective sequences, particularly the crew's horrific confrontation with the three-headed monster, Scylla, and the entire final act. The movie runs 117 minutes and was shot in Italy, the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa. GRADE: A

Homer's tale goes that after his brilliant idea of a huge wooden horse that decided the Greek's victory in the Troyan war, Ithaca's King Ulysses challenged the sea god Poseidon and he was punished to sail around for 10 years before he could get back to his island and his faithful wife Queen Penelope. During the hero's long absence many ambitious men have settled in his palace with the intention of marrying the supposedly widow Queen and rule Ithaca with her. The picture is about Ulysses's trip and all the tasks he has to go through before reaching home and, once there, how he deals with the men that are trying to take his place. Though the film is sort of slow by the middle part of the story and perhaps a little exceeded in its running time, it doesn't lack adventure, action and entertainment. Ulysses faces the cyclops who wants to have him and his crew for lunch, survives the seducing singing of the mermaids, visits the kingdom of the dead and escapes the spell of sorceress Circe who plans to retain him for herself. Arrived at last in Ithaca after loosing all his mates, he faces the pretenders to his throne in a memorable action and fighting sequence. "Ulysses" is pure entertainment and adventure in ancient Greece. The film is well done and easy to watch (its excess in duration apart)with a correct direction by Mario Camerini. It shows well chosen locations and carefully designed settings. Special effects are more than acceptable for 1955. But perhaps the main feature is a well selected main cast. Kirk Douglas is the perfect choice for Ulysses and his performance is strong and convincing. Silvana Mangano renders a believable Penelope and Anthony Quinn is at his best playing the main pretender Antinoos ("the first in pride"). It could be true that this picture inspired the sword and sandals sub genre that started a bit later with Steve Reeves's "Hercules", but you can be sure that fortunately this one doesn't belong to that category. A fine product in its genre.