To vlemma tou Odyssea (1995)

Director:

Theodoros Angelopoulos

Writers:

Theodoros Angelopoulos (screenplay) &
Tonino Guerra (co-writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

"A," a Greek filmmaker living in exile in the United States, returns to his native Ptolemas to attend...

Plot Keywords:

Balkan | Soul Searching | Mist | Film Restoration | Bombardment

Awards:

9 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Harvey Keitel	...	A
Erland Josephson	...	S., Film Museum Curator
Maia Morgenstern	...	'Ulysses' Wife
Thanasis Vengos	...	Taxi Driver
Giorgos Mihalakopoulos	...	Friend and Journalist
Costas Santas
Dora Volanaki	...	Old Woman
Mania Papadimitriou
Yorgos Konstas
Thanos Grammenos
Alekos Oudinotis
Angel Ivanof
Ljuba Tadic
Vaggelis Liodakis
Gert Llanaj
Agni Vlahou
Giannis Zavradinos
Vangelis Kazan
Mirka Kalatzopoulou
Dimitris Kaberidis
Eva Kotamanidou
Miranda Kounelaki
Natalia Mihailidou
Nikos Kouros
Nadia Mourouzi
Vassilis Bouyiouklakis
Christoforos Nezer
Tania Palaiologou
Stratos Pahis
Jenny Roussea
Stratos Tzortzoglou
Giannis Fyrios
Dora Hrisikou
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anna Aggelopoulou
Virgil Andriescu
Eleni Angelopoulos
Katerina Angelopoulou
Kiryakos Argiropulos	...	(voice)
Danusija Ataljanc
Slobodan Custic
Paris Elefthepiou
Nikoletta Govli
Geoffrey Graham	...	(voice)
Rastko Jankovic
Sasa Joksimovic
Ivica Klemenc
Giannis Kokoris
Stoyan Lalofski	...	(voice)
Dragan Maksimovic
Florence Manoiloiou	...	(voice)
Olivera Markovic
Stamatis Mihalinos
Alexandros Mylonas	...	(voice)
Slobodan Ninkovic
Anastasios Pantazis
Dragana Popovic
Vid Rayin
Dasa Runic
Tom Sears	...	(voice)
Emil Slotea
Evgenios Spatharis	...	(voice)
Vesna Trivalic
Elias Tsehos
Panagiotis Vafeiadis
Sofia Vamvakidou	...	Girl at Cafe in Florina
Pemi Zouni	...	(voice)
Wojciech Pszoniak	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Theodoros Angelopoulos

Writing credits
Theodoros Angelopoulos		screenplay &
Tonino Guerra		co-writer &
Petros Markaris		co-writer &
Giorgio Silvagni		co-writer
Homer		(poem) uncredited

Produced by
Theodoros Angelopoulos	....	producer
Phoebe Economopoulos	....	executive producer
Eric Heumann	....	producer
Dragan Ivanovic	....	producer: Serbia (as Dragan Ivanovic-Hevi)
Herbert G. Kloiber	....	producer
Saimir Kumbaro	....	producer: Albania
Piro Milkani	....	producer: Albania
Ivan Milovanovic	....	producer: Serbia
Amedeo Pagani	....	producer
Lucian Pricop	....	producer: Romania
Giorgio Silvagni	....	producer

Original Music by
Eleni Karaindrou

Cinematography by
Giorgos Arvanitis
Andreas Sinanos

Film Editing by
Takis Koumoundouros		(co-editor)
Yannis Tsitsopoulos

Casting by
Alexandros Labridis
Margarita Manda
Dinko Tucakovic

Production Design by
Dinos Katsouridis

Set Decoration by
Miodrag Nikolic
Giorgos Patsas

Costume Design by
Giorgos Ziakas

Makeup Department
Fani Alexaki	....	makeup artist
Filippas Kapsalis	....	wig maker
Katerina Moletti	....	hair stylist
Athina Tseregof	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Kostas Lambropoulos	....	production manager
Slobodan Pavicevic	....	production manager: Serbia

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pere Alberto	....	assistant director
Lakis Antonakos	....	assistant director
Angelos Frantzis	....	assistant director
Takis Katselis	....	first assistant director
Alexandros Labridis	....	assistant director
Panayiotis Portokalakis	....	first assistant director
Sasa Radojevic	....	second assistant director: Serbia
Stratis Vouyoukas	....	assistant director
Nenad Dizdarevic	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Stefan Antonescu	....	property master: Romania
Negoslav Djokovic	....	property master: Serbia
Hristos Goutis	....	construction coordinator
Kosta Keskinov	....	property master: Serbia
Vlasis Koutsoukos	....	property master
Thodoros Mourtas	....	construction coordinator
Kostas Soulakelis	....	property master
Nikos Triandafilopoulos	....	set dresser
Gabriel Nechita	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Gabriela Nechita	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Thanassis Arvanitis	....	sound
Dusan Bogunovic	....	assistant sound
Yannis Haralambidis	....	sound
Marton Jankov-Tomica	....	sound
Bernard Leroux	....	sound mixer
Francis Perrard	....	digital sound consultant
Panos Tzelekis	....	assistant sound
Nenad Vukadinovic	....	assistant sound

Special Effects by
Pino Carozza	....	special effects
Srba Kabadajic	....	special effects: Serbia
Nenad Pukmajster	....	special effects: Serbia
Olivier Zenenski	....	special effects (as Olivier Zenensky)
Dusan Zivkovic	....	pyrotechnician: Serbia

Camera and Electrical Department
Dimitris Damalas	....	first assistant camera
Ljubomir Despotovic	....	best boy grip
Dionysis Efthymiopoulos	....	steadicam assistant
Slobodan Gojkovic	....	electrician
Dimitris Horianopoulos	....	second assistant camera
Milenko Knezevic	....	grip: Serbia
Linos Meitanis	....	steadicam assistant
Miljan Milovanovic	....	assistant camera: Serbia
Grigoris Samiotis	....	grip
Mihalis Samiotis	....	best boy grip
Zdravko Simojlovic	....	gaffer (as Zdravko Simojlovic-Bosanac)
Alekos Yiannaros	....	Steadicam operator
Akis Zorbas	....	second assistant camera
Boris Zupnik	....	electrician
Josef Koudelka	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lina Giannopoulou	....	key costumer
Nikos Kasapakis	....	assistant costume designer
Dorina Papaliou	....	assistant costume designer
Sofia Syrogianni	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Maria Daoudaki	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Valentin Beikof	....	singer: Bulgarian songs
Andreas Chekouras	....	musician: accordion
Manfred Eicher	....	music producer
Manfred Eicher	....	recording director: score
Lefteris Halkiadakis	....	conductor
Kim Kashkashian	....	musician: viola
Antonis Kontogeorgiou	....	choir director
Vangelis Kristopoulos	....	musician: oboe
Vangelis Skoufas	....	musician: corno
Ioannis Smirnaios	....	score engineer
Georgia Voulvi	....	singer: Byzantine hymns

Transportation Department
Jugoslav Bobera	....	driver: Serbia

Other crew
Slobodan Jankovic	....	production assistant: Serbia
Damir Jovanovic	....	production assistant: Mostar
Dimitris Karatzounis	....	production assistant
Ellen Katsikeas	....	production assistant (as Eleni Katsikea)
Jeannie H. Kelly	....	assistant: Harvey Keitel (as Jean Helen Kelly)
Caslav Kovacevic	....	production coordinator: Serbia
Margarita Manda	....	script supervisor
Vlado Mojsilovic	....	production assistant: Serbia
Igor Nescovic	....	production assistant: Serbia
Dusan Ristic	....	caterer: Serbia
Manolis Sakkadakis	....	titles and opticals
Jon Sperry	....	assistant: Harvey Keitel
Darko Stjipcevic	....	production assistant: Mostar
Milos Tomin	....	production assistant: Serbia
Kaii Tsitseli	....	script translator
Dragoslav Vulanovic	....	extras coordinator: Serbia
Margarita Yariou	....	production secretary
Zeljian Zelaska	....	production assistant: Mostar

Thanks
Amy Androulidaki	....	thanks
Dimitris Katsanos	....	thanks
Gilat Meltzer	....	thanks
Elena Mirchovska	....	thanks
Sifet Orucevic	....	thanks
Pavlos Tsakiridis	....	thanks
Vangelis Tsembelis	....	thanks
Rasmi Tsopela	....	thanks
Gian Maria Volonté	....	in memory of

Production Companies

• Greek Film Center
• Mega Channel
• Paradis Films
• La Générale d'Images
• La Sept Cinéma
• Canal+ (participation)
• Basic Cinematografica
• Istituto Luce
• Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI)
• Tele München Fernseh Produktionsgesellschaft (TMG) (as Producteur Associé Tele Munchen)
• Concorde Films (as Concorde Films-Herbert Kloiber)
• Channel 4 (in association with)
• Bandur Film
• Bunker Film
• Igman Productions
• Studioul Cinematografic Bucuresti

Distributors

• Roissy Films (1995) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Bac Films (1995) (France) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (1996) (UK) (theatrical)
• Atalanta Filmes (1996) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Cine Company S.A. (1996) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1995) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (1995) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• IFA (1998) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Fox Lorber (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinokuniya (2004) (Japan) (DVD) (box set)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Prodimag (2005) (Spain) (DVD) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Eurimages  production support (as Le Fonds Eurimages du Conseil de l'Europe)
• Cinemagic  post-production facilities
• E.L.I.A.  thanks
• Eastman Kodak  film stock
• Greek Fire Department  thanks
• Guardaroba  wardrobe
• Light Film  grip and lighting equipment
• Memigraf  titles and opticals
• Ministry of Culture Serbia  thanks
• Ministry of Merchantile Marine  thanks
• Ministry of Public Order  thanks
• Municipality of Florina  thanks
• National Film Archive of Yugoslavia  thanks
• National Technical University of Athens  thanks
• National Theater of Northern Greece  thanks
• Sound Studio  score recording
• Studio Digital  special score processing
• Tonikon  camera equipment provided by

Also Known As:

Το βλέμμα του Οδυσσέα (Greece)
Der Blick des Odysseus (Germany)
Lo sguardo di Ulisse (Italy)
The Gaze of Odysseus
The Look of Ulysses
Ulysses' Gaze (USA) (literal English title)

Runtime:

176 min

Country:

Greece | France | Italy | Germany | UK | Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Albania | Romania

Language:

English | Greek | Bulgarian | Albanian | Serbian | Romanian

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Belgrade, Serbia

Company:

Greek Film Center

Quotes:

Niko: The first thing God created was the journey, then came doubt, and nostalgia.

Movie Connections:

References Niagara (1953)

A proof of the superiority of European cinema.

With "Ulysses' Gaze", Theo Angelopoulos proves that he is one of the most influential figures in contemporary cinema. This film explores the idea of how people must go through their personal Odyssey to reach their destination with an unbelievable poetic quality. By exploring the idea of this journey, Angelopoulos shows how much he is influenced by the poems of Nobel prize-winning Greek poet George Seferis. The atmosphere of the film is admittedly extraordinary, aided by the terrific cinematography of Giorgos Arvanitis, Angelopoulos' collaborator since "Reconstruction" (1972).

But the incredibly dense philosophical context of the film does not stop there, as Angelopoulos depicts the tumultuous history of twentieth-century Balkans with extreme precision and artistry.

Harvey Keitel gave the best performance of his career, even managing to speak a few sentences in Greek without sounding too awkward. Maia Morgenstern (as symbols for Penelope, Nausikaa, Circe and Calypso in her multiple roles) and Erland Josephson are also quite good, while Thanassis Vengos gives a tragi-comic note to the film, with his performance as the taxi driver.

The fact that I am Greek (and therefore I am familiar with the political situation and able to identify with events better) admittedly played a major part in my interpretation of "Ulysses' Gaze" and non-Balkan viewers may find it difficult to identify with the film. However, the idea of the journey is universal and it is a pity that Angelopoulos is often dismissed by most Greeks as being too "difficult".