Ulysses' Gaze

Starring:Harvey Keitel, Erland Josephson, Maia Morgenstern, Thanassis Vengos, Yorgos Michalakopoulos, Dora Volanaki, Mania Papadimitriou, Yorgos Konstas, Agni Vlahou, Angel Ivanof, Giannis Zavradinos, Ljuba Tadic, Vangelis Kazan, Mirka Kalatzopoulou, Gert Llanaj, Dimitris Kaberidis, Eva Kotamanidou, Miranda Kounelaki, Nikos Kouros, Natalia Mihailidou
Director: Theo Angelopoulos
Studio: Fox Lorber
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The Greek director Theo Angelopoulos, winner of the top prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival for Eternity and a Day, will never build an audience of casual filmgoers. But then he doesn't mean to. Demanding, difficult, portentous, Angelopoulos makes films in his own deliberate style: sometimes awe-inspiring, sometimes mystifying. When he's at his best, as in the beautiful and devastating Landscape in the Mist, the results can be spellbinding. Ulysses' Gaze is a typically fascinating, typically long (three hours) work. Harvey Keitel, moving through the film at an intense murmur, plays a Greek filmmaker known only as "A." After many years in America, he returns home for an odyssey in search of some early film footage shot in the Balkans, a quest that leads him through that war-torn area and finally into the bombed-out city of Sarajevo. Angelopoulos establishes such a dreamlike rhythm, and his images (like a giant stone head of Lenin, floating down a river) are so striking, that adventurous filmgoers should find this experience absorbing, if enigmatic. On the other hand, Roger Ebert described Ulysses' Gaze as "a numbing bore." But even he would probably admit that no one else on earth makes movies quite like Theo Angelopoulos. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

My first Theo Angelopoulos' film.......2007-04-08

I have to confess that my introduction to Mr. A's works was not completely successful. He is a very talented film maker -this one is given. His shots are breathtaking, the music score takes you out of this world and the subject of the movie is quite respectable. What would you expect from the movie which title is "Ulysses' Gaze"? You would expect Ulysses embarking in the exhausting journey in search of his roots, himself, his one true love forgotten but still living deeply inside his soul which he "has to gaze into if he tries to find it" (according Plato). In this movie the roots are represented by the first cinematic footage ever filmed in Greece and Ulysses - Greek director "A" who had left his home country 35 years ago and now he is back and he HAS to find the footage. Why? Frankly, I am not sure but to find it he is ready to travel by car, by train, by boat, and by foot through the Balkan countries torn by war. In his quest, he also visits and relives his past as a young boy in the country he was born, later left but never was able to forget. He meets a lot of women who fell in love with him from the first sight but he seems to be forever captivated by one true love because every woman he meets has the same face (they all are played by the same actress, Maia Morgenstern). I like the movies like this - meaningful, personal, beautiful, the movies that have a lot to say but never rush. This movie has some problems though and one problem is called Harvey Keitel. I love Harvey, I think he is a great actor - brave, intense, ironic, clever, tough but vulnerable. Sadly, for all 173 minutes of "Ulysses Gaze", he looked like he was just about to say, "I am Mr. Wolfe. I solve problems but what am I doing here? How did I let myself take the role that I am so uncomfortable with?" Another problem may be in the unbearable self-importance of what Theo Angelopoulos had to say to the world. Or how he said it. There was one scene in the movie that could've been moving, warm, and beautiful - the people dance in the room, celebrate New Year and the dance continues on as the years pass by. It could've been moving but Angelopoulos chose to make it strangely cold and remote. Why? I don't know. There was one scene in the movie at the 2.5 hours mark that almost made me forget all the negatives - the orchestra on the snow in Sarajevo playing melody so marvelous that it could've easily been written by Orpheus whose music used to hypnotize every living creature on Earth.

I don't regret seeing this movie and I will see more Angelopoulos' films in the future but I could've done something better with 173 minutes of my life.

Emotional but with too many faults.......2006-07-01

Apparently for some reason, the review I wrote of this movie was not accepted. I see that reviews I wrote later are already appearing on this site.

I watched this movie because it appeared on a list of the greatest films of all time. It doesn't belong on that list. It is poorly written.

I'll give you an example of the kind of thing that bothered me about it. Throughout the movie, Harvey Keitel is looking for three very old reels of undeveloped film. That is his quest, his odyssey. And yet when he finally runs into the man who was last known to have the reels, we are left hanging for too long. We don't find out whether he has them or not. The subject doesn't come up. The man tells Harvey that he looks tired and should get some sleep. So he does.

Why would they do that to us? It angers me. It is so manipulative. We were supposed to actually care, along with Keitel, about the reels. Excuse me, but I really don't care about them. The only reason I care is because you want me to. And now you have the nerve to play with me like this? Is that supposed to be artsy? I'd call it stupidity.

Another problem with this film is Keitel's monologues. He's not doing Shakespeare here. His delivery is almost Shakespearean in his monologues, and he cares too much about his pronunciation and not enough about just getting across the meaning of the lines. I sympathize because the writing is ponderous. What is he supposed to do with it?

There is the odd choice to cast the same girl over and over as his love interest, having her play different characters. It is confusing. The last of them tells him that she feels she has known him all her life. I'm not criticizing this odd approach. I'm just mentioning it. I'm not saying it was a bad idea. It's just awfully odd and confusing at first. Of course you recognize him - you just made love to him 10 minutes ago.

The ending is very heavy and emotional. You better be ready for it. Some innocent people get killed for no reason, as the executioner blames God for messing everything up. That makes no sense to me. That is no reason to kill innocent people. It is just senseless. Personally, I think there is a difference between senselessness and art. But the movie does get a kudo for being anti-war and emotionally agitating.

The story that never ends........2005-07-20

Up until 1995, all of Angelopoulos' films had for their subjects Greece, Greek history, and Greek myths. He continues somewhat with Ulysses' Gaze, but this time the filmmaker travels beyond the Greek borders into the neighboring Balkan countries. Except for the scenes taking place in Sarajevo, all the other scenes were filmed on location, in Albania, the Republic of Skopje, Bulgaria, Rumania, and Serbia. One must remember that at the time of the production (1994), the Balkan region was not exactly the safest place in the world. This enterprise represented some danger for Angelopoulos and his crew, and it would have been easier for the film to be shot in the safety of a studio, outside the areas of unrest. But Angelopoulos was not trained in the method of the Actor's Studio. More importantly, he believes that shooting in the actual locations of his stories enhances his sense of actually participating in the film itself, and therefore produces better outcomes. He therefore felt he had no choice but to chance it. For the Sarajevo episode, Angelopoulos was not able to get the necessary permission from the UN, so the Bosnian scenes were shot around Mostar, Vukovar, and in the Krijena region.

In Ulysses' Gaze, history is present, but contrary to his other film, The Travelling Players, where it was the theme, and the group of players rather than any individual character was the "star" of the film, in the present film, history is now relegated to the background, and since "A's" odyssey through the region is the main story, we see a more conventional character in the personage represented by Harvey Keitel (he is not named in the film, but he is known as "A" in the script), and also in the different characters who cross his path. However, the dialogues are often stylized, and this gives the actors, especially Keitel, a somewhat "mechanical" delivery, with the exception of Keitel's last monologue. This is in keeping with Angelopoulos' intent to occasionally distance his viewers from their emotional responses, forcing them to study and explore the identities of the characters. , The Romanian actress, Maia Morgenstern, plays the parts of the four women. These women can easily be identified with the women Homer's Ulysses came across during his voyage. They also represent all the women whom "A" had loved and lost in past. Gian Maria Volonté; who had been offered the role of Ivo Levy, died of a heart attack in Florina during the shooting of the film, and was replaced by Erland Josephson. Josephson is of course one of the main Bergman's actors, and his performance in his film is, as always, up to snuff. Angelopoulos actually dedicated Ulysses' Gaze to Gian Maria Volonté.

Giorgos Arvanitis, Angelopoulos's long time collaborator, is responsible for the stunning cinematography. Many of the scenes are long shots that are also long takes, lasting several minutes, Angelopoulos' undeniable signature. On several occasions, during some long takes, there is a shift in time, emphasizing history's continuity. The film's first scene, on the quay of Salonika, is particularly remarkable in its lyrical construction.

The music is by Greek composer Eleni Karaindrou. Her compositions for the cinema transcend the soundtrack's conventions. Her music does not merely accompany the story, it is an essential element of it. The score is a counterpoint to the cinematic action, and establishes an emotional climate, combining with the image to express what cannot be said in words.

Angelopoulos wrote the script with the collaboration of Tonino Guerra.

As the title of the film announces, Angelopoulos is taking us on a journey through the tumultuous Balkan region and on a time-travel through its 20th century history. It is, after all, where "the Great War" (that is, "great" in the sense of "awful") started, in Sarajevo, where the film ends eighty years later, among more massacres and mayhem. Angelopoulos considers himself a historian of 20th century Greece, who likes to bring lessons of the Hellenic myths into his discussions. I would like to emphasize that it is useless, and even detrimental to the enjoyment of Ulysses' Gaze, to try to see in this film the retelling of Homer's Odyssey in a contemporary context. Angelopoulos does not try to recount the Odyssey. Rather, the Odyssey is merely a reference point, and the missing films become the journey's Ithacan destination.

On one level, Ulysses' Gaze is a search for the roots of the cinema of the Balkans, and more generally, of the cinema itself. Ulysses' Gaze considers the importance of film in recording history, and its potential in influencing its future development. Angelopoulos also suggests early in the film, through the events taking place in Florina, that film, not the Hollywood-type schlock, but thought-provoking film such as his can influence people's lives.

The second theme is of course, the odyssey of "A" through the Balkans, and as Ulysses was, "A" must also be clever to overcome all the journey's obstacles in order to reach his goal, the lost film reels. But this journey is actually the individual nostalgic journey of a man in search of his past, his loves, and his losses. "A," a Greek-American, left his native country thirty years before. It is said that of all the immigrants who come to the United States, the ones who long the most for their native country are the Greeks. Many eventually return home, and "A" is just one more of them

Finally, the film is also a Balkans history lesson. The voyage goes on its long and weary itinerary over this hostile region, and as it proceeds, we learn about past but also about present events, which tore, and are still tearing, this area apart. Although Angelopoulos' political stand is well known, the film stays clear of any political moral regarding the Bosnian war. Angelopoulos cannot help but be pessimistic in that respect: "plus ça change et plus c'est la meme chose" is his only conclusion. In Homer's epic poem, Ulysses returns to Ithaca, kills all the suitors, and most likely, lives "happily ever after" with his Penelope. But in Ulysses' Gaze, Angelopoulos knows his history well: the real Balkans are not, nor have they ever been, a heaven of peace. So, the war goes on, and "A," although having attained his Ithaca, is still trapped in Sarajevo, with all of his friends dead. For "A," the odyssey continues, as he recites Homer's optimistic lines, which are aimed at the future, "When I return...." What has meaning to Angelopoulos is not so much the goal of the journey, but the journey itself: "The story that never ends."

Angelopoulos' films tend to be monumental and slow, with striking images and a dreamlike rhythm. His films require audience participation through the viewer's memories, thoughts, and feelings. In these respects, Ulysses' Gaze is undeniably an Angelopoulos film, and certainly one of his masterpieces. Notwithstanding most American reviewers, such as Roger Ebert who described Ulysses' Gaze as "a numbing bore," I highly recommend this film, although I understand that I probably will be cursed by many who, brainwashed by Hollywood directors, will have followed my advice and be rather disappointed by the experience. Ulysses' Gaze won the Grand Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival and the FIPRESCI Prize, 1995.

In a word, No. No, no, no, no. NO!.......2005-03-29

I can really imagine the pitch put to the producers of this film.

"Yes, We've got this great idea for a film. This man is searching for a lost roll of film, said to be the first existant film footage from Greece. Anyway, while looking for this film, he travels across loads of time periods and encounters lots of different people who symbolise the situaltion in the war-torn Balkans on the 1990s and who also act as a wider allegory for the travels of Ulysses. Oh, and the man who we want to play the lead is Harvey Kietel. Who can't speak a word of Greek."

One of those rare films which just doesn't work on any level. Inept in terms of its acting (partly wrecked by Kietel not being able to speak Greek!); pretentious because the talent behind the lens isn't up to transalting the many degrees of meaning and irony behind the main character's travels; boring due to the central idiocy of the central quest.

In short, a disaster movie without Irwin Allen in sight. Gives art movies a bad name.

In a word, No. No, no, no, no, no. NO!.......2005-03-29

I can really imagine the pitch put to the producers of this film.

"Yes, We've got this great idea for a film. This man is searching for a lost roll of film, said to be the first existant film footage from Greece. Anyway, while looking for this film, he travels across loads of time periods and encounters lots of different people who symbolise the situaltion in the war-torn Balkans on the 1990s and who also act as a wider allegory for the travels of Ulysses. Oh, and the man who we want to play the lead is Harvey Kietel. Who can't speak a word of Greek."

One of those rare films which just doesn't work on any level. Inept in terms of its acting (partly wrecked by Kietel not being able to speak Greek!); pretentious because the talent behind the lens isn't up to translating the many degrees of meaning and irony behind the main character's travels; boring due to the central idiocy of the central quest.

In short, a disaster movie without Irwin Allen in sight. Gives art movies a bad name.

Ulysses' Gaze [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.4 Import - Australia ]

Average customer rating:

Ulysses' Gaze [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.4 Import - Australia ]
Director: Theo Angelopoulos
Manufacturer: AV Channel
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

Vlemma tou Odyssea, To
Sguardo di Ulisse, Lo (Italy)

ASIN: B000FBURZC

Product Description

Australia released, PAL/Region 4 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: Greek (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Subtitles), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SYNOPSIS: 'A,' a Greek filmmaker living in exile in the United States, returns to his native Ptolemas to attend a special screening of one of his extremely controversial films. But A's 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. Did these primitive, never-developed images really exist? If so, where are they? - 'Why 'A'? It's an alphabetical choice. Every filmmaker remembers the first time he looked through the viewfinder of a camera. It is a moment that 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 SPECIAL FEATURES: Trailer(s), Photo Gallery, Making Of, Interactive Menu,

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