Original subtitles

If you eat all the young ones now,

what's going to be left for next year?

We'll be gone next year.

Have you found your father?

- Telemachus. - Give them what they want.

Boy, tell your mother that shroud she's weaving

will be for her son.

If she keeps us waiting much longer,

I'll wrap your body in it myself.

You still think she'd marry you?

What do you think she does at night?

She wants what every woman wants.

She would not shame herself.

Oh!

I'll cut your throat, you little bastard.

Leave him!

I'll treat you fairly.

You think you're better than them?

Poor boy.

Don't you know that if it wasn't for me,

you'd be dead long ago.

I might change my mind.

Why doesn't she?

This island is dying.

Marry one of them.

Anyone! Then the rest will go.

We can't live with those savages anymore.

You've been weaving for months.

And what good will it do him?

Leave him! Leave him!

Will you eat?

Where... Where am I?

You don't know?

The island of Ithaca.

Take me. Help me.

Outside.

Eat this.

Eumeas.

Why take in a stranger?

Risk their anger?

Because they haven't turned us into animals yet.

Your king is greedy.

There is no king.

He sailed to Troy years ago.

Took the best men with him.

None of them came back.

All year they've been turning up from miles around,

waiting for her to choose.

Has she?

She's strong.

Keeps them waiting

for her husband to return.

Palace?

Yes. Mother is there alone with those men.

The ones who scared you.

Stones.

They are...

so beautiful.

If it's not the girl, it's you.

I've come a long way. I'm not going back without.

I will not get the queen.

But I'll get what I can.

I'll take.

I'll leave my scar on this island.

from the smallest islands to the greatest cities

to honor the promise made.

Ten long years the heroes fought

and covered their names in glory.

Ten long years but neither side could claim victory.

Then out of the forests of Asia,

People love stories.

Yes.

Our King Odysseus was there.

The smartest of all the heroes.

It's because of him we won.

Isn't that true?

Tell them.

Heroes.

Odysseus was...

Rags.

Crawled into the city at night.

Counted the soldiers. Listened to the rumors.

She looked straight at him.

Put a coin in his hand.

Her escort were mounted.

And in the morning, it will vomit soldiers.

We took our revenge

for all the years away from home.

For all our dead.

The cold. The hunger.

And Troy was ours.

But the city could never be won,

And my king?

Sailors say he is near.

Where?

If he isn't dead, why doesn't he come back and take his own?

and the island will live again.

Even if he swum all the way from Troy,

he would have been back years ago.

No.

He is at the bottom of the sea.

And maybe it's better for him that way.

What are you doing here?

Where have you been?

Where have you been?

Why do you ask?

Are you quarrelling again?

Look at her.

She's afraid. Ashamed.

You know what they say about you.

Whore.

Where is my son?

Your son?

Why?

Have you lost him?

Where is he?

Telemachus is a grown man.

If he is not in his bed,

perhaps he has found comfort elsewhere.

We don't all like to sleep alone.

Please leave.

Don't you see?

The more you keep him under your skirts,

the more he hates you.

If I let him out of my sight, they'll kill him.

If you had chosen, he would be safe.

You will find him for me.

Your son has deserted you.

Your husband is dead.

You are alone. You need me.

You will find him and bring him back to me.

Yes...

my queen.

We agreed you'd keep watch on the boy.

He must have gone to the mainland for news.

The grandfather will know.

He might come back with help.

He might not come back at all.

These are dangerous waters this time of year.

Killing the son won't win you the mother.

Careful now.

There was no talk of killing here.

Get away!

- Where's the Prince gone? - No!

Is he coming back?

No.

The old one asks to see you.

You've found my son?

The old king is dead.

I'm leaving.

All the decent men are going.

Only the scoundrels will be left.

And they're just here for your wealth.

How did he die?

Old men die.

You need protection,

just as your son needs a father.

I'm not young like some of the others.

I'm not famous like your husband.

If he were alive, I would respect him...

just as I respect his widow.

I am Odysseus's wife.

Odysseus is dead.

Not to me.

There'll be a funeral at dawn.

The old king.

He waited for his son to return.

Then he gave up hope.

And now he's dead.

Will the family bury him?

The queen will bury him alone.

The son is gone.

That's what our lives have become.

When I die, they won't even bury me.

They'll leave me for the dogs.

Now you can choose.

If you don't choose,

you'll be carried here in a year.

- I will choose soon. - When?

- When? - When?

Now!

When I've finished the cloth.

She's lying again.

She said that she was weaving his shroud.

It's too late. He's dead.

The shroud will be my wedding cloak.

Let me mourn the old king in peace.

Then I will choose.

There will be no more waiting.

Take me to the palace.

They won't let you in.

They'll think you're another one hoping to marry her.

Even the tramps are turning up now.

Take me.

The master's hunting dog.

Stays there, watching for him.

All these years.

Argos.

A soldier could kill them now.

They wouldn't even know.

Stick with me. Things will change.

Spare some food for a soldier who fought at Troy?

Amazing. Another veteran.

A tramp!

Throw him out.

Everyone fought at Troy!

Yes! Everyone.

Some of them before they were born. Huh.

Here, old soldier.

Let him be! Here, old man.

Enough! Stop it!

Talk to the queen. Tell her you knew her husband.

She'll screw you harder than the Trojans did.

Hey, beggar. Come here.

See him?

That's Antinous.

He's desperate to get the queen.

He doesn't even want her wealth. He wants her.

Go and annoy him. He'll pay you to go away.

Something for an old soldier?

Take your rags out with the other beggars.

You sit at another man's table,

eat another man's food,

refuse a poor man a scrap of meat.

Someone rid us of this beggar.

Here. I'll show you the way out.

Wait, wait.

We could do with some entertainment.

Can he fight?

Thank you. I'll go.

Don't go.

You say you were at Troy.

Show us how to fight.

Some of them need a lesson.

- Come on then. - Let's see him fight.

Sit on him!

- Go on then. - Go on.

Come on!

Come on.

Is that enough?

Get up!

What is that noise?

Fighting. A stranger this time.

He might know of Telemachus.

No. He's a tramp.

Don't go there.

He's just another one who says he was at Troy.

Stop this. They've had their fun.

Hit him!

Stop it!

Someone clean this up.

You fight well for a beggar.

If you're looking for someone to serve,

I'm always looking for slaves.

You should be pleased.

He won't need killing again.

Killing a man to amuse thugs?

He had his chances. You can't be blamed.

The war, you should forget it.

It was years ago.

A long way off.

It's everywhere.

It's everything we see and touch.

A cup, the war, a table.

The war. Everything.

Waiting for me to

make it happen again.

What are you going to tell the queen?

Don't lie to her.

She's suffered enough.

Look at him.

That's what happens to the great warriors.

Get out! Out with the other beggars.

You can't stay here.

Leave him.

I want to talk to him.

Come nearer the light.

Closer.

Let me see you.

My nurse tells me you were at Troy. Is it true?

Yes.

You fought with my husband?

Yes.

Then you remember him well.

It was a long time ago.

Where have you been

since you left Troy?

Traveling. Drifting.

Did you hear of my husband in your travels?

He must be dead.

The man who left would never have stayed away.

From his son.

His wife.

His people.

Perhaps he's afraid.

Why should he be?

Perhaps...

Perhaps he is lost.

Lost?

Lost?

How can men find a war but not find their way home?

For some, war becomes home.

He wants me to marry.

Should I marry? Tell me?

Put an end to it?

Tell me.

Has all this waiting been for nothing?

Tend to this man

then send him away.

That scar...

I washed it when it was made.

You came in from the hunt.

Shh.

My boy.

My boy, my boy, you're back!

- No. - My king.

- No. No. - I must tell her.

- I must tell her! - No!

Ow!

Not a word. Do you swear?

Swear.

Not a word.

Father.

We didn't know. The dead are the lucky ones.

You survive...

but there's nothing left inside.

But our fishermen fooled them, took the southern route,

against the wind and left them there,

like stranded fish gasping on the rocks.

Don't you understand?

They are even more dangerous now.

You must hide.

What about you?

They won't hurt me. They need me alive...

- Where did the prince go? - Where?

Where is he?

Tell me where he is!

Young man. Hiding. Where?

Pisander!

Come on.

So who are you?

Nobody.

Did you tell my mother you were at Troy?

If you were there, you saw my father.

You must have.

What was he like?

A soldier.

Like any other.

Were you one of his men?

Did you leave with him when it was over?

Deserted, didn't you?

Sold your weapons for a whore.

Isn't that what my father did?

- Run. - What?

- Run! Hide yourself. - Don't speak to me like that.

- Stop! - Stay down!

What happened?

Who are you?

Your father.

You must run!

No!

Telemachus! Telemachus!

Telemachus!

Let me go!

You'll both be killed! Telemachus!

They're coming to kill you!

Go! Get to the water!

- Come on! - Go.

I'll hide the bodies. Keep them off track.

Where is he?

Eumeas?

He's in the hills with the boars.

Where is the boy?

I haven't seen him. I swear.

They lost it. They could be anywhere.

Oh, fucking place.

Let's get back.

I'm hungry. Come on.

Come on. Good boy.

We should have killed him long ago.

A hunting party.

Time to start talking.

He's not my father.

Odysseus would have chased that scum

out of the palace by now.

Aren't you your father's steward when he's away?

Look at this island.

He would have died rather than return alone.

You know who I am.

Tell him.

I know who you were.

Close the gate.

I'll give you the time. Not a day more.

Then you'll marry me.

I won't tell the others.

They won't be so understanding.

- And my son? - Your son?

Why should I care about your son?

I wish I'd never met you.

I want to leave this island, but I can't.

I'll die here one way or another.

What happened?

The queen has decided.

She's going to choose one of them today.

Wait.

Wait!

It's too late to come back.

You can only hurt us. Go back to your other woman.

If you go to the palace now, they'll kill you.

My mother is going to marry.

Today!

One of those pigs.

And what will you do about that?

Nothing.

She's wasted her life waiting for you.

I hope they kill you.

What are they for?

I don't know.

Look who's here.

Uh...

Not now.

Later.

Your waiting is over.

It has been difficult to choose

from men of such diverse qualities.

Hey, you. Throw him out.

He's bad luck.

- It's that beggar again. - Throw him out.

Who let him back in?

- Throw him out. - Out!

Throw him out.

Leave him!

He's my guest.

In my house.

In your house?

In fact,

I cannot choose.

The choice will be in your hands.

This bow

was a childhood gift to my husband.

He was able to make an arrow fly through 12 axes

without touching any one of them.

The one amongst you who can string the bow

and shoot the arrow through the axes,

that man will be my husband

and king of Ithaca.

- But it's impossible! - Enough!

Circus tricks!

Why marry someone because he can do that?

What if nobody can do it?

Odysseus could.

Would my new husband choose to be a lesser man?

I'll try.

Go on.

Come on! Come on!

Come on!

You're stringing it the wrong way.

Go on!

A bit more.

He can't do it.

Let's see it.

Come on!

Come on!

Let's see it.

Come on!

What are you waiting for, Antinous?

Too scared to try?

This is another trick.

She planned it this way.

We will not be her fools anymore.

Yes!

That bow hasn't been used for years.

Even Odysseus couldn't bend it.

Yes!

It can't be done!

That's right!

- Shame on you! - Lies!

Tricks!

Lies!

We won't be her fools anymore.

- That's right. - It's impossible!

Lying bitch!

I will do it then!

He wants to fuck his mother!

I want to see him fuck his mother!

All right! Give it a go then!

- Go on then! - Give him the bow.

Enough of this farce.

We've wasted too much time.

- The men will choose. - Yes!

Right.

Yeah. Forget the bow!

If the gentlemen are finished,

I thought I might try.

It's not every day you get the chance

to try the bow of Odysseus.

My queen.

Can the bow make a man of a beggar?

Get back to your place.

What does the queen think?

Give the man the bow.

Give your father the bow.

Look at the old soldier.

Is this what you wanted?

Well done, old soldier.

Now leave, before you come to regret your skill.

Yes, take your luck elsewhere.

Old man, put down the bow.

- He's gone mad. - Rush him!

Go! Now!

Go! Go!

Get down!

You! Out!

Out!

Go! Shut the door!

We have to rush him together!

He's mad. He thinks he can kill us all.

- He'll pick us off one by one. - Stranger...

Lower your bow.

If you are Odysseus,

no-one can blame you for your anger.

We have been reckless in your home and land.

But one man drove us.

Antinous!

- Yes! Yes! It was him! - It was all his fault.

He wanted to kill Telemachus.

It was him! Not us!

It was him!

Odysseus, you know I've been...

He's out of arrows.

Father!

Kill me now.

Please.

My queen.

Is this the love you wanted?

If she had been mine, I never would have left her.

It could have been so different.

After all these years, holding on to peace.

That was no peace.

There was no other way.

Queen.

Your son wishes to speak with you.

Telemachus, don't.

Mother...

I need to go.

Go to her.

You have lost us our son.

When he finds out who he is, he will return.

So wise.

How can you bear to see him go?

So much blood.

Yes.

So many years.

Why?

Would you still love

the man I had become?

Forgive me.

Forgive me.

This is not our bed.

When did you seal it?

When you left me.

There is so much I do not know.

You do not want to know.

I need to understand.

You cannot understand.

I cannot understand.

We will.

Your past will be my past.

And mine, yours.

Better to forget.

We will remember.

And we will forget together.

And then we'll live.

And we'll grow old.

Friends, again.

Together.