Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
Before Christopher Nolan's blockbuster The OdysseyHollywood had never attempted a feature film based on Homer's famous poem. There have been countless television episodes that have changed it, including Ducks again The Wishbonewhile the Coen Brothers O Brother, Where are you? it is a retelling of the story. Until Nolan, the closest Hollywood came was a 1997 NBC miniseries developed by Hallmark and starring Armand Assante as Odysseus. For a generation, this was a defining form of adaptation The Odyssey.
The Generation That Defines the Television Event
The 1997 series, like Nolan's version, cuts out parts of Odysseus' journey to Ithaca. It is noteworthy that sirens are left in the cutting room, Helio's cows are left out, there are no cannibals, and the Lotus-Eaters are grouped with Circe's island. Even as the working time approached four hours, something was needed. What's left behind is the pinnacle of 90s made-for-tv movies and a bunch of classrooms every time the teacher gets on the AV cart.
It begins with Odysseus fighting in the Trojan War, taunting the cyclops with “None,” spending five years with Circe (Bernadette Peters), heading to the underworld to reconcile with the sage Tiresias (Christopher Lee), losing his entire crew to Scylla and Charybdis, washing up on the shores of Calypso, Williams's island at last (two years in prison) home. Whatever. That's it The Odyssey. It is the foundational myth of all Western literature. And for a TV budget, it's amazing.
Spectacle Viewing on a Television Budget
Armand Assante was derided by critics for his performance of Odysseus as “stiff,” but he watches it now, and instead he chews all over and picks his teeth with it. That didn't stop the series from becoming a cultural event with nearly 40 million viewers a night. The Odyssey was a huge success, starting a new era of television miniseries events that included Merlin, Dinotopia, again Jason and the Argonauts.
The Odyssey set a new bar for television at a time when it was considered “low” in showing movies. The scenes of the boats, the cyclops, and the sacking of Troy are among the best television images of the decade. It pales in comparison to Nolan's vision of ancient Greece in IMAX, but even today, 30 years later, there are some great shots for a new generation to enjoy.
Odyssey is Impossible to Fully Adapt
Adapting an epic poem has always been a challenge because of the sheer size, scope, and frankly, strangeness, of the story. Odysseus wanders the sea, encounters various mythical creatures, all of which can't stop a movie on their own, and returns home to kill all his wife's suitors. When even Nolan has to cut material, he knows there's too much for any one film to contain.
In 1997 The Odyssey it was a risky gamble. It came out before The Gladiator it briefly revived swords and sandal songs, and by the 90s, the culture had shifted to grounded, reality-based stories or “extreme” reinterpretations. A straightforward, fantasy adventure should not have been a hit. However it was.
Today you can stream 1997 The Odyssey free on YouTube, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, and Roku Channel.
