After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Calypso along the way.
Chuck says:
If nothing else, Cristopher Nolan must be commended for his ambition in adapting Homer’s “The Odyssey.” No half measures are taken in this $250 million production and if the filmmaker’s reach exceeds his grasp, it certainly isn’t for lack of imagination or effort. By its very nature, this unwieldy, sprawling tale presents a myriad of challenges, most of them met, a few fumbled, particularly in the early going. However, the sheer scope of the movie is impressive, a go-for-the-fences swing that’s rarely attempted today, an epic not overwhelmed by digital effects, as matters of the heart and character take center stage instead.
During its first act, the story has a scattered feel to it, yet it stands to reason what with the many narrative wheels already in motion. In getting the audience up to speed, we learn that Odysseus (Matt Damon), the ruler of Ithaca, has been absent for 20 years. Having gone to fight in the Trojan War, he’s failed to return some ten years after the conflict’s ended. His son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), whom he’s never met, longs for some news of his father’s fate, as does his mother, Penelope (Anne Hathaway). They are under siege in their own home as a horde of potential suitors, Antinous (Robert Pattinson) being the most prominent, have taken up residence, depleting the household of food and resources.
We learn of Odysseus’ exploits and whereabouts through a variety of sources. Having set out to get information about his father, Telemachus is told by the ruler Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) of the warrior’s exploits during the siege of Troy, while his most loyal subject, Eumaeus (a great John Leguizamo) relates tales regarding his youth.
However, the bulk of his story is told by Odysseus himself, as his lover Calypso (Charlize Theron) has taken pity on him and is weaning him off a steady diet of lotus flowers. As his memory returns, he tells her his tale and through flashbacks we see the fall of Troy, as well as the many delays he and his men contend with on their return to Ithaca. Their encounters with the cyclops, Polyphemus (Bill Irwin) and the witch Circe (Samantha Morton), as well as their journey to Hades are among the familiar incidents related.
Initially, the flashbacks from various characters prevent the film from finding its rhythm. However, once Odysseus becomes the teller of his story, events begin to flow more naturally and the film finds its footing, smoothly moving from one seminal moment to the next.
What’s most surprising and welcome is Nolan never forgets the human element of the story. To be sure, the visuals are spectacular throughout, the vistas of Morrocco, the landscapes of Greece and the woodlands of Scotland arresting and powerful in their own right.
Equally impressive is the way in which he integrates the special effects into this fantastic tale. The monsters Odysseus and his men are rendered in such a way you never think of them as being artificial or rendered by a computer. The aesthetic of realism Nolan creates makes the film all the more engaging and at times, terrifying, As much a horror film as an adventure story at times, a sequence in which Circe turns a group of soldiers into pigs is a full on body horror moment, while their journey to Hades, in which Odysseus is confronted by the spirits of men whose death he’s caused, is one of the most horrific and moving scenes I’ve ever seen.
But he never lets us forget the suffering the characters are going through, the physical as well as emotional turmoil being wrought on Odysseus, his family and his men. It’s made plain that at its core, the Trojan War is about Agamemnon’s political and economic ambitions as much as it is about rescuing Helen (Lupita Nyong’o) and assuaging his damaged ego. The harm done to the warriors in his armies is just collateral damage to him, Nolan stressing the damage done to innocents due to the hubris of an arrogant leader. Who says the classics have nothing to say about our modern world?
While Odysseus’ physical journey home is the driving force of the narrative, witnessing his transformation from a fierce, loyal warrior to the shattered guilty man he becomes provides it with heart. Smart yet foolhardy, arrogant but finally humbled, angry and ultimately at peace, the changes he endures makes this legendary hero all too human, emotionally grounding the epic in a way that makes it relatable and accessible.
Granted, some modern colloquialisms in the script are jarring, the role of Athena (Zendaya) is severely altered, the final act is hobbled by prolonged, incomprehensible action scenes and there are stretches where you could get up, stretch your legs and not miss much. Still, this grand, overwhelming production is a reminder of why we go to the movies. At times, “The Odyssey” is visually all-consuming, Nolan filling his vast canvas with one spectacular, eye-popping panorama after another. However, the tragedy of Odysseus and his ultimate redemption is what makes it worthwhile. As it has been since the tale was first told, Nolan reminds us that his hero’s journey to understanding remains ours, the story once again revealing its timeless nature.
3 1/2 Stars
