Abstract

Odysseus/Ulysses remains one of the most resilient figures in the cultural world, frequently reinterpreted through the seventh art. This study proposes to analyse the archetypal representation of the Greek hero in cinema, focusing on the deconstruction of the myth through the confrontation between two perspectives: the Hellenic and the Latin. We first examine the Homeric vision, rooted in the virtues of ingenuity and courage, analysing the example of the film Ulysses (1954) directed by Mario Camerini. Subsequently, we contrast this with the Virgilian tradition — which considers the Homeric hero guilty of treachery and deceit — through the analysis of works such as Nostos: Il Ritorno (1989) directed by Franco Piavoli. Through this methodology, we identify an aesthetic and moral transition that humanises the hero by exposing him to the barbarity of conflict. The conduct of Odysseus/Ulysses in a wartime context is examined considering contemporary International Law, questioning the nature of his heroic acts in relation to alleged war crimes. By contrasting military glory, idolised by the Greeks, with the Roman ideals of Pietas and Virtus, this study reveals how cinema functions as a cultural and social barometer, constantly reinterpreting the classical myth according to evolving ethical perceptions across time and space. The relevance of this analysis lies in its exploration of the cinematic hero as an evolving figure and as a construction shaped by cultural, social, and legal contexts, in which heroism and immorality become uncertain concepts.