The Odyssey (1997)

Odysseus (Armand Assante) is held captive on the island of Ogygia by the beautiful nymph Calypso (Vanessa Williams). Meanwhile, Penelope (Greta Scacchi), Odysseus' wife, resides in Ithaca, where she eagerly awaits his return.

The gods gather on Mount Olympus, where Zeus (Isabella Rossellini) learns that Poseidon (Bernard Hill) harbors a grudge against Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops. Zeus decides that Odysseus must be allowed to return to Ithaca despite the fate the Fates have set for him.

Hermes (Stuart Bunce), the messenger of the gods, is sent to Calypso's island to deliver the message that Odysseus must be allowed to leave. Calypso reluctantly agrees and promises Odysseus a raft to set sail.

Odysseus builds the raft and sets off, but Poseidon, still angry, conjures a storm to sink it. Odysseus is the sole survivor and is washed ashore on the island of the Phaeacians, where he is rescued by Princess Nausicaa (Rebecca Lacey). He tells her his story, and they develop a connection.

Nausicaa guides Odysseus to King Alcinous (Eric Roberts), who welcomes him and promises him a ship to return home. At the court, Odysseus recounts his adventures, including his encounters with Circe (Irene Papas), the enchantress who turned his crew into pigs, and the ghost of Tiresias (Jeroen Krabbé), who predicts his future hardships.

After a farewell celebration, Odysseus boards a ship provided by Alcinous, but when he arrives on Ithaca, he realises that many years have passed. Athena (Geraldine Chaplin), the goddess of wisdom, disguises him as an old beggar to test the loyalty of his subjects.

Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus encounters his loyal swineherd Eumaeus (Sean Bean), who takes him in and shares stories about Penelope and Telemachus (Alan Stenson), Odysseus' son.

Meanwhile, a group of suitors, believing Odysseus to be dead, have invaded his palace and demand that Penelope choose one of them as her new husband. Penelope cleverly delays her decision by devising a test for the suitors to string Odysseus' bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axes.

At the end of a feast, disguised as the beggar, Odysseus reveals his true identity to Eumaeus and Telemachus. Together, they plan to defeat the suitors and regain control of the palace.

The next day, as the suitors try to string the bow, Odysseus, still disguised, takes his turn and effortlessly strings it. With Athena's help, he shoots the arrow through the axes, and chaos ensues. Telemachus and loyal servants join Odysseus, and a bloody battle erupts, resulting in the suitors' defeat.

Penelope, still unsure of Odysseus' identity, tests him by suggesting that she will move their bed outside the room. Odysseus reveals the secret of their bed, proving his identity to Penelope. They joyfully reunite, and Odysseus reunites with his aged father, Laertes (John Gielgud).

News spreads throughout Ithaca about the massacre of the suitors, reaching the relatives of the suitors. Outraged, they gather to seek revenge. Odysseus, with Athena's guidance, orders the execution of the suitors' relatives, restoring peace to Ithaca.

Finally, Odysseus reunites with Eumaeus and Telemachus before the gods intervene and restore him to his youthful self. The gods celebrate his journey, and Odysseus, now a wise and experienced warrior, finally returns home to Ithaca, where he can live in peace with his family.