Amazon.com video review:
Andrei Konchalovsky's expansive television mini-series
production of Homer's epic poem gets off to clumsy start as he tries
to squeeze the Trojan War into a mere half hour, but once the arrogant
but honorable Odysseus (strikingly played by Armand Assante) and his
loyal crew begin their doomed voyage home, this film turns into a
fantastical adventure. Integrating often-stunning special effects
with inventive art design, Konchalovsky achieves a beautiful look on a
limited budget as he follows the 10-year ordeal of Odysseus from his
battles with the Cyclops and the magical Circe (Bernadette Peters) to
his secret homecoming and his confrontation with the treacherous
Eurymachus (Eric Roberts). Isabella Rossellini appears as his
spiritual guide, the goddess Athena, with Greta Scacchi as Odysseus's
faithful wife and Vanessa Williams as the seductive Calypso. The rest
of the cast includes Geraldine Chaplin, Jeroen Krabbé,
Christopher Lee, and Irene Papas. The production was shot on location
in and around the Mediterranean, making for a lush, lovely visual
experience. --Sean Axmaker
