Original subtitles

THE ODYSSEY based on Homer's epic poem

EPISODE FIVE

I am only a stranger among you.

- My friend, no one is a stranger among the Phaeacians...

This is the dawn of our people, our city belongs to the future.

Whoever happens to set foot on our land...

...will be treated as equal, and if the Gods wish him to stay...

...he will be honored and rewarded...

...up to his own worth, like any of us...

...as long as he shares our life of peace.

I tell you as a brother, Odysseus : stay, become one of us.

- The exiled are always tempted to settle...

...I stayed one month at Aeolus's..., and one year at Circe's...

- Circe? Who is Circe?

- Circe is a magician who sings and weaves like only goddesses do...

...she is a daughter to Helios, the Sun god, and to Perse.

But when we reached that island, I could not imagine Circe's witchcraft...

...my men had recovered their strength and their hope.

After so many days at sea, scorched by the sun and the salt...

...the green wall along the beach promised us rest...

...shade to lay down, fresh meat, ripe fruit,

and fresh water to quench our thirst...

...but the forest made me wonder...

...what mystery was hiding behind the trees?...

On the morning after we landed, I took a decision...

...I split my men into two squads...

...one led by me, the other by Eurylochus...

... while one would explore the island, the other would guard our ship...

- Who will decide which squad goes exploring?

- Chance alone will decide.

...I will not impose my will anymore...

...we endured too much division, and I took too much blame...

...for going to the god Aeolus on my own.

...I shall no longer act without your support whatever the situation.

Eurylochus, the gods will sort us out. Let them chose.

Black stays, white leaves.

- Whatever, Odysseus. I will be sorry to go without you.

Thus Eurylochus departed.

It was the first time my dear friend acted on his own.

We waited for them. A whole day went by.

...dusk came, and then night...

At dawn, they had not returned...

- Odysseus!

That was Eurylochus, alone...

...words would not come out of his mouth...

...such was the turmoil in his heart...

...he could only weep.

- Where are your companions? - Something awful, Odysseus!

- Go on! What happened? Speak!

- I don't know, Odysseus, I don't know...

...the forest became dark and strange - How that, strange?

- We were walking, and then, this awful thing happened!

- Calm down, please! Where have you left your comrades?

Before this already, I saw them becoming sad and fearful.

The grip of fate was always tighter.

- Alright, Odysseus, but you caused these hazards...

...that fell back upon you, and your friends...

- I tried to save us, I had no other choice!

- I was not blaming you, Odysseus - I just wanted to know...

...as we progressed into the forest, the trees became sparse ...

..their leaves were quivering, as if animals were hiding behind...

...we felt their presence, without ever seeing them...

...then suddenly, we saw high walls, all covered with moss...

...what seemed like remnants of some ancient palace...

...beyond those walls, other walls appeared endlessly in front of us...

...there was no way out of this labyrinth.

...the men were exhausted, dropped themselves on the ground...

...I was still walking ahead, when I heard ghastly grunts...

...I turned around, and could not believe my eyes...

...our friends were there indeed, but transformed into pigs!

...I stared at them terrified, and heard a voice singing...

...a lady appeared among the trees, she came near the pigs...

...and she touched them, laughing.

- And what did you do ? - I fled...

...the walls opened as by magic...

..and there I was, back on the path we had followed.

- Alright. Lead me to this path. - Stop! Where are you going?

- I want to see by myself! - Please, let's get away from here!

...let's flee and not look back! - Stay here, if you ran out of courage! !

Stay, and stop whimpering!

From his first words, I felt an irresistible attraction...

- Were you not afraid? - No, curiosity was stronger than fear

The harder fate was, the more hardened I became.

I was now used to permanent challenge...

The island had a mild climate, and my progression was easy...

...I longed to hear that lady singing, even though I was wary...

...my heart and mind grew impatient but I kept as cautious as I could.

- Where are you going alone, on this unknown path?

You know your travel mates were transformed by a witch...

...into vile animals and you may think you will free them.

But are you sure your fate won't be the same, Odysseus?

- Who else but me will free them?

Who are you? Why are you on my way? How do you know my name?

- Don't speak your name in this forest, because here lives Circe...

...her home is all around, in any tree, on any leaf...

She will try to turn you into an animal, as all the men she meets...

...but she will fail.

...then she will remember, I had warned her myself...

...that one day, a traveler called Odysseus would land on her shores...

...to teach her what a goddess cannot know, whatever her might is...

...the desires, pains and emotions of every human.

...Look behind, can you see this herb growing on the rock?

Pick it up.

You can't?

It is easy though...

...eat it, and you will be immune to Circe's philter...

...without fear, you will drink it, as many have done before...

...Circe will observe you in disbelief...

...you shall draw your sword, and will feel the urge kill her...

She will be overpowered, and will invite you to her bed.

You will not refuse her, because you have to save your friends...

...but be careful, Odysseus...

...remember she is a goddess, and you cannot free them without her...

...the flower only protects you from her spell.

- What are you doing? Wait!

Hermes, the messenger god, vanished among the trees...

- Did he tell you his name? - He didn't need to, I knew it was him...

..my heart was pounding, I was thinking about Circe...

...and the philter she would offer me...

...and I wondered what face she would take to deceive me.

- Stranger, what are you looking for?

- A house - Yours maybe?

And where is it? Maybe out here in the woods...

Look around...

...all those who searched their home eventually found it here...

- What are you doing in the woods?

- I am waiting. I was told a man would come...

- Who is he? What's his name? Tell me about him.

...your waiting would feel shorter...

Maybe I know him, I come from afar, I have known many places and faces...

...tell me his name, I sailed the seas, we might have met...

- Your cunningness is known even here. Don't you guess?

Stir the fire, will you?

Cross there!

This is the path to the house you were looking for.

Jump...

- Should I really? - Isn't that what you want?

Penelope!

Come!

Sit here...

Come!

You will feel immense relief once you drink this.

- What were you thinking of then?

- Of that flower with bitter seeds that should save me...

...if Hermes had not lied to me

- You are turning into an animal. You feel no pain...

I did feel pain, and it became unbearable.

A fire was burning in my chest, as if two forces were pulling me apart...

- Go to the pigsty... To the pigsty!

I saw Circe's defeat on her face.

She went from amazement to despair...

All the prophecies of Hermes came to fullfilment.

Now, it was Circe's turn to suffer.

...she screamed and twisted, possessed by hate...

...and as Hermes had foretold, I had a sudden urge to kill her...

...I barely restrained and saw her turning...

...into a woman...

I was saved. She realized I had a greater power than hers.

- You are Odysseus. I had been foretold. The warrior come from Troy...

...the only mortal not to get tamed...

Well, Odysseus, kill me. What are you waiting for?

- My companions...

...I want my friends back...

- Is that all? - Yes...

- Is that all you want? - You turned them into animals...

..and men you will give me back...

- Why? - Because they are men.

- Your words are strange...

- I feel responsible for their lives, do you understand, Circe?

- Not yet, Odysseus. I don't know the feelings of humans...

...but I see you are determined, and now I must comply.

- I entered Circe's magical world, without yet being aware.

When I had left the ship to rescue my friends...

...I ignored I would lose my way into the surreal...

- See how ugly your former companions are...

...do not mind, they ignore how they look or where they are...

.. for swines ignore the fears of men...

...they have no need for you, open your yes and see.

If you want, you may give them back their former shape...

...but think twice before you decide.

- I want them as men!

They seemed to awaken from a long slumber...

...their faces and eyes were those of infants, clueless and vulnerable...

- Did they look like before?

- Yes, but with a strange expression in their eyes.

...as though they came back from very far.

- Could they understand what had happened with Circe?

- Fear of the unknown is human. Couldn't you soothe their troubled minds?

- I should have right away spoken to them like a friend would.

But I was stunned. No sound got out, my tongue was sealed.

Something unknown had set between us for the first time.

When I moved towards them, they moved away.

- Odysseus!

- She was very attractive.

- And you abandoned your friends, and your yearning to leave...

...for that woman?

- No, it is not right to suggest I abandoned them.

They ran alone through the woods, and found their way to the boat

I caught up with them on the shore, and implored them to come back...

...but Eurylochus intervened, and would not let me speak to them...

...like a beast, he pounced on me...

- Traitor! You want to take us back to the pigsty?

Have you already yielded to that ghastly witch?

Remember the Cyclops! Your madness was lethal to several of us!

Then I drew my sword, and even though Eurylochus was my cousin...

...I threatened to cut his throat.

...but I saw them all so helpless...

...that I feared to confuse their mind even more...

I kept to myself for a whole year as long as I stayed at Circe's.

- You stayed with her... for a whole year?

- I am not sure.

I lost track of time in Circe's house...

...but down at the beach where my shipmates remained...

...days, months and seasons were passing.

- Your friends are toiling, and I could give them all for nothing.

Look at this vineyard...

They work hard to grow it and they will soon harvest...

...yet, in my house, wine is flowing, all they would have to do is drink...

...without any effort, without grapes, sun or rain

How much they have started! This cabin for example, this orchard...

- No Circe, it is not ingratitude if my men keep away...

...they are common people, they are scared of you, of us...

- No, Odysseus, what scares them and makes them keep away...

...are dark thoughts on your mind, can you prove me wrong?

- You know all of my thoughts, don't you?

- Come!

- Odysseus! Odysseus!

- What's going on? Why all these screams?

Tell me what this means, Eurylochus!

- It seems you forgot Ithaca, Odysseus.

You promised to return us all home, but your words went with the wind!

- Remember I am the king! - No, you are no longer king of Ithaca...

...neither the king, nor even a citizen of Ithaca!

- Odysseus! Odysseus!

- Where are you?

It was only an eerie dream but it afflicted my soul...

...my companions reminded me that the time of return had come.

The memory of my homeland came back...

...that what their cries meant to me...

Now I had to gather the strength... - ...to quit Circe?

- First, to tell her the truth. - You loved her, right?

- I couldn't do anything without her. That was the effect of her spells.

Even to abandon her, I needed her help.

- I'm leaving you, Circe...

- I know you don't love me, you couldn't even if you wished.

That is my destiny.

Only the astray and the desperate arrive here...

...and I cannot expect love from any man.

None would ever dare or care, all they demand is oblivion...

...to rest in peace around Circe crouching like animals...

...waiting to die without pain, to pass away without knowing...

You understand why all men had meant the same to me...

I did not press you to stay. Go if you please!

You will leave by your own will, just as you came.

Remember, I told you to cross the fire, and you did...

...I did not force you though!

Why ask for permission when I cannot refuse?

You want to torture me?

Be honest, if you wanted your friends to turn back into humans ...

...you chose the risks of life for them.

- I know, but we just cannot escape the fate allotted by Zeus ...

...he puts the love for our homeland in our hearts.

- Are you aware my power does not reach beyond this island?

...and that by leaving, you too will lose the powers I gave you?

She acknowledged my departure was coming, but tried to warn me...

...against the troubles I would bring on my friends...

...against the dangers she doubted I would overcome...

..and I was thankful for that.

- Odysseus, when you arrived to this island...

...did you know what you would find? - No.

- And when you searched me and found me...

...going through the forest alone...

..did you just want to save the lives of your companions?

.. or to become the only mortal to learn about the secrets of heaven?

You crossed an invisible line. There is no going back.

Your next effort is to dive at the bottom the abyss...

- What abyss, Circe? - Listen...

...the path you choose to return home...

...goes beyond the oceans, where the home of the dead is.

Only there, you may learn what you so anxiously wish to know.

And now behold, you will enter the realm of shadows.

- It's a great privilege for a mortal to visit the realm of the dead.

- Odysseus, you will have to recount your extraordinary experience...

...the travels you made us share are about to end.

...now your dear homeland is not so distant anymore.

In Erebus everything is infinitely distant, because memories fade away...

There is the realm of shadows: shadows of maidens with aching souls...

...or shadows of warriors slain by spears.

I obeyed Circe's words:

...you shall sacrifice a black lamb, and Tiresias will drink its blood...

And you will pray: Gods of the Hades...

...and you, the dead...

...who dwell in this hopeless place...

...if I ever return to Ithaca, I swear...

...to sacrifice the fattest calf and to cover the altar with offerings.

...to Tiresias, I'll offer a black wooled ram, the strongest of our flock...

Get back. Don't come near. Don't test my pity.

I must speak only with Tiresias.

- Let me drink...this blood. - Mother! What are you doing here?

- Oh son of Laertes...

...offspring of the Gods, cunning Odysseus...

...why have you left the sunlight... and come alive to this joyless place?

- To question you Tiresias, and to know my destiny.

- Then put away your sword, and let me drink the lamb's blood...

...and I will let you know the truth.

As told, you shall learn the truth...

...what you care most about is the day of your return, Odysseus...

...yet your return will be harsh and bitter,

the wrath of Poseidon will fall back on you...

...you blinded his son, and derided his pain...

- How much will I suffer again? Tell me one thing, Tiresias:

...shall I ever return to Ithaca? - Yes, you will return...

...but after enduring many hardships.

...you will go many places, face many perils, sail on a foreign vessel...

...your ship will wreck, and you will lose all your friends...

...in your home, you will find haughty men, who offended Penelope for years...

...and you will revenge! - Shall I return alone to Ithaca?

- Even then, you will depart again, you will not rest yet...

...you will have to leave Ithaca, travel to men who never saw the sea...

...who don't salt their food, and will be stunned at your sight.

...you will the stick your oar into the ground, turn towards heaven

...and make high quality sacrifices to the lord Poseidon.

...only then you may stop endlessly sailing from one island to the other...

...and finally deserve your rest...

...and one day, death that lurked around you so often will take you gently...

...you will be serene, and all happy around you, because your death will be noble.

That is your destiny. I told you the truth, Odysseus.

- No!

- Now leave this murky place, Odysseus, you are alive, and don't belong here...

- My mother is here, I just saw her...

Tiresias, let me speak to her, and see her once more!

- I cannot allow nor forbid, I am no more...

(Circe's voice) - Go back to daylight, Odysseus...

...but look around before you leave, you will describe this to Penelope.

- I feel your presence Agamemnon, glorious Atrides, tell me:

...what fate befell you after our victory?

Did you drown? Were you struck by disease? Or killed by an enemy?

- My wife Clytemnestra led me here she made Aegisthus do it.

...and as a bull led to the butcher I was slaughtered by her lover.

(Oh, nothing is more evil than a wife who commits such a heinous crime..)

(Shame to her who pushes her lawful husband to death...)

(...she is a disgrace to all womankind, even the good ones)

- Be cautious, Odysseus, and follow my advice:

...when you come back to your homeland, disembark in secrecy!

...don't trust anyone, not your dearest friends, nor even your wife.

- Goodbye Agamemnon.

- Remember the words of Agamemnon, spouses cannot be trusted.

Conceal, lie and betray, if you don't want to die untimely.

- When I went to war, Penelope was a young and tender bride...

(Tiresias's voice) - Odysseus!

In your home, you will find ...

...ambitious and arrogant men threatening your wife Penelope...

- Achilles!

- Achilles is no more. He died with weapons in his hand, on the Trojan plain.

- When you were alive, we honored you as a god...

...now I see that you are the lord among the dead...

...so don't be sad for Achilles being dead.

- Don't try to comfort me.

I would rather be a servant in a poor farmer's house...

...but alive on earth, than the first among these exctinct souls.

Love your life, Odysseus, life is priceless, and worth any treasure.

- Go back to the sunlight, but look around, you will have to describe to Penelope...

- Mother, my dear mother, I see you again at last.

I could not hold you back. Forgive me.

- My flesh and blood, why are you here? You watch forbidden and cruel things.

- When you died, was there anyone close to your eyes?

Did you receive a proper funeral?

- I died, and nothing else matters. I have fulfilled my destiny...

...but if you ask for the cause of my death...

...it was grief caused by your too long absence.

- And my father?

- Your father has grown old and sad waiting for you in vain.

He doesn't come to town, but dwells among the servants.

Like a savage, he sleeps near the fire in the winter...

...on a heap of vine leaves in the summer...

...sighing about Odysseus, hopeless and weak, until dark.

- My mother, let me embrace you. Let me hug you on my heart.

- You cannot my son, such is the law of the death.

...I no longer hold flesh and bones, they perished in consuming fire...

...and my soul flitted away like a dream.

...go back, you were away too long, return to the sunlight!

- Hug me!

- Thrice you will try...

...your son's heart wished for an embrace...

...and thrice like a phantom she flitted away.

...and your heart will be torn apart.

- Elpenor!

- Yes, it's me, a sad fate befell Elpenor.

- But I left you alive on Circe's island!

- Only you can give me a proper funeral

...don't leave me unburied without my armor...

...before you depart forever from Circe's realm...

...make me a grave on the seashore...

...and unto my tombstone, stick the oar I used to row with.

Do not forget about me, Odysseus, think about your friend...

- What happened to Elpenor? - He fell down, he was up there, singing...

...and suddenly he slipped. He was drunk.

We found him groaning. He was calling for you but you weren't there.

He's dead. Where have you been, Odysseus, for all this time?

- Shadows burying a shadow...

Elpenor, the most innocent among us.

What can we hope for, his friends and myself?

- The day you waited for has come, the day of departure.

Yes, but only with my friends! I will give my life with theirs.

- You can still save them, remember...

- If you speak true, why did Tiresias tell me...

...I would return alone, without my friends?

- You are already alone, Odysseus, you went alive in the Hades.

You will have died twice.

This is what Tiresias meant: don't expect your crew to comply like before...

...or to believe your words even when you want to save them.

- Elpenor! Elpenor! Elpenor!

- Prepare for your journey, Odysseus.

I will show you the way, even if it costs me pain and tears...

Once she said this, Circe ran to the cabin...

...an oracle was speaking through her...

- I'll tell you about your journey, about the perils awaiting you...

...so that you all can avoid them and save your lives.

First, you'll come to the Sirens...

...they are a lethal danger to men...

...you will only see a rock, not the sea anymore...

...and you will know you came to a doomed place .

Don't get close, don't stop by, the rocks are covered with the bones...

...of those who listened to the song of the Sirens.

Will you be able to resist listening to them?

Will you able to steer your ship's prow away from them?

Then avoid the wandering rocks on the way to the North...

...only one man, Jason, went through them unharmed...

...as he was protected by a goddess. Don't even try to see them!

That will be your second ordeal. And the third will be on the Trident island...

...there you will see black cattle pasturing...

Don't touch it. This is the Sun's cattle.

Yet, you'll be hungry and devoid of hope...

...then you could fail this last ordeal.

I have nothing more to say, Odysseus. The time of departure has arrived.

Eurylochus! Philetor! Heraclius! Come and listen carefully!

We will set sail shortly, and severe hardships are awaiting us.

If you infringe my orders, you will die, and no one will be saved.

Why do you threaten us, Odysseus?

I don't. This is the prophecy of Tiresias.

After wandering on all seas, you also went down to the dead!

Why are you mocking us?

We are still mourning a friend, who went to the Hades for real!

- No mortal ever returned from the Hades.

- Maybe you think you are a god, Odysseus? - Believe me, my friends!

Alright, if you no longer believe Odysseus's words, listen to Circe's!

- Circe?

- Who is Circe?

- Don't you remember anything? - Remember what?

- How Circe turned you into pigs, and I returned you to humans?

- What did she want to do with us? Bacon?

- We listened to you enough, al of us are sad and tired...

...tired of this journey that never ends...

(You are alone, Odysseus)

(You can see their memory is void.)

(I erased myself and this island from your men's mind...)

(...so that nothing would divide you anymore...)

(...but what you know and what they don't, that cannot be undone...)