Are There Film Adaptations Of Ulysses Modern Available?

I’d keep this practical and a little enthusiastic: yes, there’s a concrete, older film adaptation of 'Ulysses' — Joseph Strick’s 1967 movie — but modern, full-length remakes are basically nonexistent. Joyce’s novel is so internal and linguistically dense that most filmmakers either turn it into experimental shorts or adapt episodes/stage versions rather than attempt a faithful, modern blockbuster.

For finding screen versions today, search for the 1967 title (Milo O’Shea’s performance), and then look at film archives and specialty platforms: BFI, Irish Film Institute, Kanopy, and sometimes Criterion-esque services or libraries will list screenings. Local universities or literary festivals (Bloomsday events in particular) often show filmed adaptations or student reinterpretations. You’ll also find short films and modern reinterpretations on Vimeo or YouTube if you’re willing to dig. If you want a friendly project, watch Strick’s film alongside a chapter from the book — it turns into a neat comparison exercise and helps explain why filmmakers tend to borrow from Joyce rather than remake him outright.

If you’re curious about screen versions of 'Ulysses', the short version is: there’s one well-known, direct film adaptation and then a scattershot world of smaller, experimental, or inspired works. The most famous direct adaptation is Joseph Strick’s 1967 film 'Ulysses' — it stars Milo O’Shea as Leopold Bloom and Barbara Jefford as Molly Bloom. I watched it on a rainy evening once and it felt like someone tried to translate Joyce’s fever-dream prose into gestures and visual motifs; it doesn’t capture every interior nuance, but it’s brave and oddly charming in places. The movie stirred controversy back in the day over its frankness, and that’s part of the reason it’s stuck in niche circulation rather than mainstream streaming rotation.

Part of why you don’t see a flood of modern, faithful big-screen adaptations is that the novel is famously interior — an ocean of stream-of-consciousness — which filmmakers either can’t or don’t want to faithfully translate into conventional cinema. So instead of straightforward remakes, you get stage productions filmed for TV, short experimental films that take an episode or image and run with it, and contemporary projects that borrow structure or themes. I’ve seen student films that adapt Leopold’s walk-through-Dublin vibe into their own neighborhoods, and film festival shorts that riff on the siren episode with sound design and surreal visuals.

If you want to watch something now, start by tracking down Strick’s film — it pops up on DVD, sometimes on specialty streaming services, and at university or film society screenings. Also check places like the British Film Institute, Irish Film Institute, Kanopy (if you have a library login), and Criterion-type catalogs; independent cinemas or Bloomsday events will sometimes screen adaptations or inspired shorts. If you’re into reading alongside watching, grab a scene or two from the book and then watch the corresponding film segment; it’s fun to compare how interior monologue becomes camera focus or actor micro-expression. Personally, I love that odd mix of reverence and rebellion — Joyce’s text resists one perfect film, and that sparks lots of creative detours worth hunting down.