An acquaintance today bemoaned the lack of historical knowledge that Americans have in their own history and government. To expect them to have a knowledge of European history, particularly Greek and Balkan history would be ludicrous. That knowledge of history would serve you well as you try to understand the work of Theodoros Angelopoulos. a director on a par with Fellini, and Kurosawa, and Bergman.Angelopoulos likes the long, slow shots that give you time to reflect on what you are seeing. Those that are impatient have difficulty with this, but those who appreciate great cinema will luxuriate in the process.Winning two awards at Cannes, Angelopoulos was disappointed he did not win the Golden Palm. 1996 was a great year for film, and he did very well with this one despite that.

Ulysses' Haze : There isn't one way to make movies. All the artists are wholly free to choose (and responsible to) the style of making what they want. But the viewers also are free to choose. Whatever the movie was, wherever it came from, whoever made it, there is certain feeling, idea, power that CAN affect you, or not ! Although nothing and no one is the same, but ironically, it is great fact that your own feelings for one movie or artist are the same of somebody out there. So, on the basis of that, let me see what's so hateful about this movie so its style.Ulysses' Maze : By all means, it's different. But even if, in its kind of difference.. It's so awful. What kind of movie, any movie, that alienates its viewers ? Ulysses' Gaze is so dead. It is one unforgettable invitation to watch death and live it ! Maybe that's exactly what was the tremendous genius Theo Angelopoulos thinking of ?!First off, it's beyond boring. The heavy thick pace will definitely distract you so powerfully. Oh yes, it's slow to give you the chance to contemplate, but certainly it managed to sleep you, since either there isn't much to think and contemplate about. Even your poor try to stand it, would lose. I lost the last strength of patience while the long very damn long sequence of Lenin's statue. OH MY GOD, that was too hard to follow. It compelled me to disbelieve anything this apoplexy says. Once the interaction is gone, the whole deal is finished. I found myself literally out of it, well.. It pushes you to that ! Not to mention the theatrical style (UGH !) how can I bear someone who's working at "film" to turn it into "theater" ?!, or to make the whole screen as white smoke, (I love radio but not like that !). It's not renewal inasmuch as incapacity...Or Harvey Keitel as the lead ?? Did you see him talking to the girl when she was running next to the moving train?, did you see him laughing when he found the movie?, did you see him at the end scene? : Great comedy !. His face was stony, and his charisma didn't impassion. De Niro was smart enough to reject the role. Basically how to say anything through that dumb excuse for a script? Detached-fantasy-journeys into one's life could tell about nation's history but not in this transcendent, indigent and cold way.Surely the attempt to narrate differently was promising but the absurd plot could've been more dexterous, enjoyable, and less dull. Many sequences were full of braggart stupidity masquerading as sublime art (the black umbrellas' scene for one instance!). If you think of it as poetry, then it's the most adolescent, silly, and alleged cinematic poetry I've ever seen.It takes a super fairness to admit that I liked the music, the cinematography. Though all the rest (the acting, the editing,..etc) was barrenly tasteless in a way that didn't give you chance not to endure it for a second watching, but to endure it for a first one ! What bothered me the most, other than being in front of it for foul full 176 min, that the one and only (Theo Angelopoulos) was so angry (and confused !) when this film lost Cannes Film Festival's main award !! That got on my nerve crazily ! Ulysses' Laze : Well, any artiest must look at his work to know where he was wrong. But Mr. Angelopoulos will never do such a thing. He's a god, an idol for himself. So he can never be wrong ! And all of his blind lovers can't (or don't dare to) find anything may be slightly wrong with his work. He's the great yet the greatest. I challenge any enamored of Mr. Angelopoulos to tell me what possibly could be not good about this movie. Actually the ultimate replay would be : nothing ! There is nothing like it so naturally it's wonderful ! Whilst there is nothing like the plague, though it's not wonderful ! Ulysses' Daze : So, Mr. A (could refer to "ailing" more than "Anglo" !) was searching for the first movie ever shot in the Balkans as the originality /the creative essence that has been destroying to lose everything because the foolishness of the modern human which led to war/ the final absolute madness that ended everything and everyone. And all the intellectual's efforts will lastly make nothing. WAW, the only problem is that it had been made by originality that was effectively destructive for its movie (as well as us !) to lose everything it says or shows ! They're so simple words yet in the smallest letters ever, that is strenuous and unfruitful in the same bad time. Like a strong nightmare it worked not for the sake of it, but for making me refuse to watch it (read: stand it) ever again ! Great achievement for a movie that is !Ulysses Razes : (Angelo-mad-about-himself-poulos) as the maker of it is the only one who sees its joy, the only one who feels its trueness, the only one who finds it the greatest film ever made, and doesn't believe that anybody may feel anything but that. It exemplifies what kind of distending ego that we have here ? Mr. Theo, I'm sorry to say it but...The pleasure was all yours.Ulysses' Ease : Is it a spectacular classic for someone out there? Clearly not for me. I hated it, hate it, and I'll hate it as a typical example for a work that was murdered by its maker's hopeless megalomania.It's not a tableau about the human's havoc; it's one about a film's havoc.

I found this film very surreal. I don't know the history behind the story but I was not bored. When it was over I felt slowly transported to another time and place. The scene in the fog hit me in a very unusual way.This is not the film for someone who wants a smash boom, shoot 'em up thriller. I has a steady development and not the pace of an action film. If you enjoy films that are more cognitive you might like this one.Harvey Keitel does a lot of good films. He appears to choose projects that have interesting themes.I really liked it.

Justly famous for being one of the last remaining directors still doing extraordinary cinema, in this film Angelopoulos celebrates the end of Communism in Eastern Europe, while, at the same time, looking with touching sensitivity into the lives of people molded by recent (and less recent) History. Some of the scenes related to History have already become classic, but, personally, I was more impressed by the description of the way this History affected individuals and families. Although the media has covered so amply the tragic events in the Balkans and (to a lesser extent) the external aspects of people's life, very little has been said about more human aspects which, after all, will keep affecting them for many, many years to come. In my opinion, this film offers the most complete, convincing and respectful take on the affected people's emotions, memories and relations among the (few) films, documentaries and books touching on the theme.The scale is epic both geographically and chronologically and since Angelopoulos manages to move easily between dream and reality (one of the biggest problems facing cinema directors), the personal stories are nicely interwoven with History. Angelopoulos' characteristic long takes, in this instance serve more than giving the film a poetic atmosphere. It is necessary for his goal of looking carefully on individuals' lives and describe their joys and sorrows. In terms of execution, there were some flaws (especially in technicalities of directing of actors) but, frankly, I don't mind that, if the alternative is perfectly executed films but lacking interesting ideas.