Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is an Enthralling Epic Worth Seeing!
Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures
By Luis Zonenberg
As the summer blockbuster craze begins to wind down, I wanted to take a second to reflect on some of the biggest films to come out this season. Out of the dozens of films to come this summer, few had as much anticipation and excitement as Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Based on the Ancient Greek poem by Homer, Nolan’s adaptation quickly drew attention due to its star-studded case and its immense budget going towards shooting the film entirely with IMAX cameras. With the film now surpassing a billion dollars at the worldwide box-office, I feel it is worth taking a deeper look into the film and see if its truly worth all the hype.
The story focuses on the King of Ithaca, Odysseus (Matt Damon), as he embarks on his long-awaited journey home following the end of the Trojan War. They soon stop at a nearby island to search for more food and supplies, but soon find themselves trapped by the towering cyclops, Polyphemus (Bill Irwin). After devouring a few of his men, Odysseus and his crew blind Polyphemus and rush back to their boats to escape. They encounter harsh conditions at sea, soon discovering that the God Poseidon is prolonging their voyage home because Polyphemus turned out to be his son.
Ten years soon pass by and Odyssesus is nowhere to be found, forcing his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), to entertain numerous suitors in her home in accordance with “Zeus’ Law.” Fed up with the aggressive behavior of suitors like the sleazy Antinous (Robert Pattinson), her son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), embarks on a quest to find his father in hopes of having him reclaim the throne. Little does he know that Odysseus is currently trapped on the island of Ogygia, where he works to escape the clutches of the nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron). The race is on as Odysseus fights to get home to his wife and son, especially since the suitors are plotting to kill Telemachus themselves!
The film remains faithful to the original text and follows all of the core story beats while making some notable additions in the process. Just like the original poem, the film follows a non-linear narrative structure but presents it in a manner distinct from the original story. Rather than Odysseus recounting his exploits to King Alcinous at his palace, the film presents it as him trying to remember his journey as he fights to resist the lotus flowers Calypso continuously feeds him. This approach works to service the themes of love and betrayal, as well as offering an appropriate meditation on the nature of guilt.
Another striking difference here lies in the portrayal of Odysseus himself. Instead of depicting Odysseus as a cunning war hero, Nolan paints him as a soldier suffering immense guilt and trauma to the point where he even debates whether he truly yearns to return home at all. Nolan’s depiction of the character offers a rather unique perspective on Odysseus while still respecting the intellect and physical strengths he possesses that made him such a beloved character to begin with.
The cast is exceptional, with Matt Damon turning in an Oscar-worthy performance as Odysseus. His restrained performance captures the inner turmoil and intense emotions his character fights to keep within himself, reflecting the immense complexity of Odysseus. Tom Holland was an absolute standout as Telemachus, reflecting not only his character’s optimism but also the resentment he has towards the suitors infesting his household. Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Himesh Patel, Jon Bernthal and Elliot Page all anchored the film with their devoted performances.
The cinematography was simply mesmerizing, beautifully capturing the grand scale of Odysseus’ arduous journey. The film was shot entirely on IMAX film stock, and it shows, with each frame transporting the audience back into ancient Greece. I was fortunate enough to see this film projected on IMAX 70mm film stock at the British Film Institute (BFI) in London, with the enormous screen helping to enthrall everyone back into this epic quest. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema continues to excel with his work here, showcasing some of the best cinematography I’ve seen all year!
The music by Ludwig Göransson was otherworldly, with his hauntingly beautiful soundtrack echoing back to the sounds of old. Under Nolan’s instructions, Göransson abandoned the idea of using a traditional symphony orchestra and instead reconstructed ancient Greek instruments to make it feel more authentic to that time period. This wild approach clearly paid off, utilizing various strings and intense vocal work from artists like James Blake to recapture that sensation of a Greek chorus regaling the exploits of heroes like Odysseus.
The VFX was next-level, blending CGI and practical effects seamlessly. From the giant puppet created for the Cyclops to hiring 7-foot-tall actors to play the giants (Laestrygonians), Nolan does his best to capture as many effects in camera as possible. This pairs beautifully with the real-life locations and landscapes used for filming, allowing for the CGI to polish and augment the experience even further. Nolan’s approach to VFX continues to astound me, with this showcasing some of his VFX team’s best work yet.
The only nitpick I can think of is perhaps the editing, especially since it utilizes non-linear story structure. Most of Odysseus’ journey is told in flashbacks, and this approach works at first, but struggles when it cuts back to Telemachus and his journey to find Odysseus. The editing makes it feel like Telemachus’ journey is interrupting Odysseus’ own quest, making it feel a tad bit disordinate. Thankfully, the editing gave an appropriate amount of time to flesh out both narratives, successfully merging the two with the last third of the film kicking into high gear.
While this may not be the definitive take on the classic tale, director Christopher Nolan beautifully transports it to the big screen with gusto and delivers some of his best work yet! From the groundbreaking cinematography to the incredible cast, Nolan crafts a true spectacle that serves as a wonderful homage to the swords-and-sandals films of old. Finding the heart amidst all the action and horrors, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is a big-screen epic audiences should seek out at once!
The Odyssey is now playing in theaters.
Rating: ★★★★ ½ of five
