Ulysses (1954)

A colorful, wonderfully old-fashioned film adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, with Kirk Douglas giving Ulysses both heroic swagger and genuine longing for home. The Cyclops, Sirens and Circe sequences have a handmade, dreamlike quality that modern effects can’t quite duplicate. It condenses the epic considerably, but captures its essential combination of adventure, temptation, danger and devotion. A fascinating—and often overlooked—classic for anyone interested in Greek mythology or vintage historical epics.