Main Cast: Fionnula Flanagan, Barbara Jefford, Milo O'Shea, Maurice Roeves, T.P. McKenna, Martin Dempsey
Release Year: 1967
Country: US/UK/IE
Run Time: 140 minutes
Plot
Based on the classic novel by James Joyce, this drama deals with the life of an impotent married Jewish man, his wife and a student/poet in Dublin. Focusing more upon the characters' thoughts and fantasies than upon their actions, it features some of Joyce's previously banned prose. This drama was filmed in Ireland with a largely Irish cast and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
Review
This adaptation of James Joyce's literary landmark Ulysses takes on the formidable task of filming a story seemingly impossible to capture onscreen. One would imagine that Joyce's prose and poetry defy the medium of film, and one would be correct; Ulysses strives to do its namesake justice, but falls short of its mark. It chronicles a day in the life of Leopold Bloom as he wanders the streets of Dublin, reflecting on his less-than-perfect life; his son is dead, his wife is nagging him into the grave, and he is impotent. Paralleling the action in Homer's classical epic, the story unfolds largely through metaphor, as in the case of the Jew-hating "cyclops." An attempt to preserve some of Joyce's writing comes in the way of voice-overs, but the effect is hit-or-miss. The film does not come close to the original work, but the comparison may be unfair, since no re-creation could ever equal Joyce's vision. On its own, the film is quite good, but, of course, the comparison to the original is inevitable. Still, for those who haven't read the novel (or were unable to finish it), Ulysses is a highly entertaining, provocative film and a good introduction to Joyce's writing. For those who have read his work, it may be worth seeing regardless, just to get an even better sense of how unique a talent Joyce was, as evidenced by the inability to produce a great script, cast, and director, to fully match the genius of its inspiration. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
Sheila O'Sullivan - May Goulding Dedalus; Graham Lines - Haines; Maureen Toal - Zoe Higgins; Maureen Potter - Josie Breen; Chris Curran - Myles Crawford; Maire Hastings - Mary Driscoll; Eddie Golden - Martin Cunningham; Rosaleen Linehan - Nurse Callan; O.Z. Whitehead - Alexander K. Dowie; Geoffrey Golden - Citizen; Tony Doyle - Lt. Gardner; Des Keogh - Joe Hynes; Leon Collins - Lynch; Robert Somerset - Lenehan; May Cluskey - Mrs. Yelverton Barry; Perry Desmmond - Bantam Lyons; John Molloy - Corny Kelleher; Clare Mullen - Florry; Pamela Mant - Kitty; Danny Cummins - The Drinker; Brendan Cauldwell - Bob Doran; Joe Lynch - Blazes Boylan; Anna Manahan - Bella Cohen; Pauline Melville; Derry Power; Cecil Sheehan; Fionnula Flanagan - Gerty MacDowell; David Kelly - Garrett Deasy; Charlie Roberts; Lillian Rapple
Credit
Fred Haines - Associate Producer, Joseph Strick - Director, Reginald Mills - Editor, Walter J.R. Reade - Executive Producer, Stanley Myers - Composer (Music Score), Stanley Myers - Musical Direction/Supervision, Stanley Myers - Songwriter, Wolfgang Suschitzky - Cinematographer, Joseph Strick - Producer, Fred Haines - Screenwriter, Joseph Strick - Screenwriter, James Joyce - Book Author
There have been other movies based on Ulysses but this one stands out for its fidelity to the book and the fact that almost the entire screenplay is taken from lines in the book. It was perhaps the first motion picture to use the word "fuck" (another contender being I'll Never Forget What's 'Isname).
In New Zealand, screeners were required to show the film before gender-segregated audiences. It was not approved for general release in the Republic of Ireland until 2000; however, it was screened at the Irish Film Institute (a private film club) in the 1970s.
