Blu-ray Review Ulysses (1954) Blu-ray Review (8 Viewers)

[Matt Hough]

Mario Camerini’s Ulysses is a fine if occasionally flawed rendition of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey.



Ulysses (1954)



Released: 01 Oct 1955
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 94 min




Director: Mario Camerini
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, History



Cast: Kirk Douglas, Silvana Mangano, Anthony Quinn, Rossana Podestà
Writer(s): Franco Brusati (screenplay), Mario Camerini (screenplay), Ennio De Concini (screenplay), Hugh Gray (screenplay), Ben Hecht (screenplay), Ivo Perilli (screenplay), Irwin Shaw (screenplay), Homer (poem)



Plot: A movie adaptation of Homer's second epic, that talks about Ulysses' efforts to return to his home after the end of ten years of war.



IMDB rating: 6.7
MetaScore: N/A





Disc Information



Studio: Studio Canal...

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[Robert Crawford]

Thank you for your fine review. I thought this BD was going to have it in widescreen too?

 

[Matt Hough]

Thank you for your fine review. I thought this BD was going to have it in widescreen too?

According to the commentary, this was the last of the standard ratio epics shot in Italy. It was filmed in 1953 right when Cinemascope hadn't quite made it to Italian shores. Kirk and Anthony asked NY Post critic Wanda Hale who was visiting the set if she had yet seen The Robe and she had only seen one scene on a publicity junket, not the whole movie.

 

[Darby67]

Very well-done review, Matt! You have certainly given readers enough information for them to make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase this release.

 

[Robin9]

Good review. Many thanks. I'm a great admirer of Silvana Mangano and hope more of her movies make it to Blu-ray: Mambo, The Tempest, Five Branded Women, and the one with two names co-starring Richard Conte and Jo Van fleet.

 

[skylark68]

Thank you for the great review. I'm looking forward to adding this one to my collection. I've only ever seen this film via the old DVD that wasn't very good image wise.

 

[roxy1927]

Mangano is one of the great screen beauties who could also act(see De Sica's Gold of Naples.) Whatever happened to them?

 

[Wayne Klein]

I must say that, while the colors are vibrant, I found the restoration a bit underwhelming. It does Improve on the murky and muddy DVD but I was expecting a better presentation.

 

[JPCinema]

Great review, however you listed the running time as 94 minutes. Ulysees is 104 minutes.

 

[Matt Hough]

The run time I listed is what's on this disc, not what the original run time might have been. Or do the IMDB and the Kino liner notes both have it wrong?

 

[RICK BOND]

I must say that, while the colors are vibrant, I found the restoration a bit underwhelming. It does Improve on the murky and muddy DVD but I was expecting a better presentation.

I'm surprised it was not released in Widescreen. I don't have it, but I saw the screen shots on DVD Beaver a while back. Not that great. I never saw the film.

 

[Wayne Klein]

I'm surprised it was not released in Widescreen. I don't have it, but I saw the screen shots on DVD Beaver a while back. Not that great. I never saw the film.

Especially given the era it was released in. The audio has always had that tinny quality of post-production audio. be Aware that, if you buy this, the synching ‘issue‘ isn’t that at all; the Dialog has ALWAYS had lip flap due.

 

[Douglas R]

I have the German version and the picture quality seems to be exactly the same i.e. very good. I'm glad to have the Kino in any case because it has the added value of an audio commentary.