Jim Colyer
It took 10 years for the Greek hero Ulysses to make his way back to Ithica after the Trojan War. Kirk Douglas is Ulysses. He overcomes the Cyclops, the Sirens, and Circe. His final challenge is the suitors who want his wife and throne. Chief among them is Antinoos (Anthony Quinn). With help from Athena, Ulysseus regains his kingdom and Penelope. Gorgeous Silvano Mangano plays both Penelope and the enchantress Circe. Scenes focus on Silvano's hypnotic eyes and sensuous lips. In fact, the film has a way of getting right up in the faces of its characters. The film seems old by modern standards, but the strength and acting prowess of Kirk Douglas makes it relevant and worthwhile. Douglas recently turned 100 years old.
anglhnsn1
I remember seeing this movie at about 8 yrs. old; I thought it was thrilling; I enjoyed it a lot better than Jason & The Argonauts; If any one knows where I can purchase the DVD/VCR please let me know; I've been waiting such along time to see it again. I think this is one of Kirk Doughlas' best; a lot of action and a good story; it doesn't matter if it were true or not, I think it was very well done; I was fully entertained; I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this movie. I think Kirk Douglas is such a great actor; I don't believe there were any of his movies that I didn't enjoy. He can play any character; I don't know if he ever won an Oscar but if he hasn't, he should have.
apollogranforte
I too first saw this movie when I was in my very early teens and still at school, but unlike my movie buff friend who wrote the first comment, I enjoyed this film when I saw it again many years later and still do some half a century after the first time.Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn are excellent in their lead roles as one can imagine by their chequered careers, nevertheless I find Rossana Podesta' and Silvana Mangano very good on the eyes but rather pedestrian in their interpretations of the "forgotten women". I doubt a man like Ulysses would fall for such a verveless Circe.Young Franco Interlenghi plays a suitable youthful Telemachus. The scenes with Polyphemus are good and the overall photography quite stunning. The final scenes when Ulysses rids his house of the unwanted suitors is very violent and gory but well performed. Unfortunately the English dialogue is dubbed and at times this is quite obvious, but after all this was an Italian production (I first saw it in the original language with my late father).
Hitchcoc
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!!
AD
