Odissea 1997 — L

The story opens with Odysseus on Calypso’s island. But Konchalovsky quickly flashes back to the fall of Troy. We see the brutal sack of the city, the killing of Hector’s son Astyanax, and the blinding of the seer Polyphemus’ father. The gods debate his fate: Athena defends him; Poseidon (played with vengeful fury by Yorgo Voyagis) swears to destroy him.

The series boasted an extraordinary international ensemble, mixing respected character actors with rising stars:

Originally broadcast in two parts on NBC in May 1997, the series was a ratings success and went on to win two Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Special. l odissea 1997

The yacht was shipwrecked on the coast of a mysterious island, later revealed to be a cutting-edge tech research facility. The island was ruled by the enigmatic and seductive Calypso, a brilliant scientist with unparalleled expertise in artificial intelligence. Calypso, with her raven-haired beauty and razor-sharp intellect, took a liking to Odysseus and offered him a deal: stay on the island and help her perfect her latest creation, a revolutionary AI system, in exchange for her assistance in getting back to Sun Valley.

For a television production in the late 1990s, L'Odissea set a new standard for practical and visual effects. The story opens with Odysseus on Calypso’s island

The film follows the arduous 10-year journey of King Odysseus of Ithaca (played by Armand Assante) as he attempts to return home to his wife, Penelope (Greta Scacchi), and son, Telemachus, following the end of the Trojan War.

The series is notable for its grounded, grimy aesthetic. Costumes are not clean white togas but dirty wool, leather, and bronze. The world feels tactile—sun-scorched, salt-caked, and dangerous. The monsters (Cyclops, Scylla) were a mix of practical animatronics and early CGI, which, while dated by today’s standards, has a tangible, creepy quality missing from modern green-screen epics. The gods debate his fate: Athena defends him;

The second half opens with the (represented as ethereal, screeching spirits on razor-sharp rocks), the monstrous Scylla (a six-headed serpent who eats six men) and Charybdis (a massive whirlpool). After the shipwreck and the loss of all his men, Odysseus washes ashore on Ogygia with Calypso. Eventually freed by Hermes (per Zeus’ order), he sails to Phaeacia and finally reaches Ithaca.