‘I’ ON CULTURE
The new Christopher Nolan film The Odyssey has arrived, and it probably is the movie of the year. A retelling of one of our civilization’s oldest stories, it uses modern film techniques to enhance a complex, fascinating story. The film is long, but it actually manages to include most of what is found in western civilization’s first great hero story — one told and read for nearly 3,000 years. It is exciting and interesting with far more depth than the typical “hero” film.
Nolan follows the lead of Homer, the original storyteller, by laying out the story in nonlinear fashion. The film begins with suitors seeking the hand of Penelope, Queen of Ithaca (Anne Hathaway), who has waited for the homecoming of her husband King Odysseus (Matt Damon) for almost 20 years. The suitors have been taking advantage of her hospitality by freeloading for three years. Led by Antinous (Robert Pattinson), they abuse and threaten her son Telemachus (Tom Holland), who eventually leaves to find his father.
At that point, we switch to Odysseus, who has been imprisoned by sea nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron) for seven years as he attempts to deal with a huge case of post-traumatic stress disorder, brought on by 10 years of war followed by wild and deadly adventures. At one point, he actually does go through Hell (like, literally). He faced the Cyclops Polyphemus (Bill Irwin); hostile giants; Circe (Samantha Morton), a nasty witch who turns his men into pigs; and other monsters, all before healing with Calypso. And so the story goes, although I expect most of you know the ending.
That is a lot to cover, and Nolan handles it brilliantly. This is not a typical superhero film. Odysseus begins beaten down by events, not even close to the most powerful folk, the gods. But he learns and grows, or at least regrows, as he goes through more and more trauma. And there are many other personal bits. The blind swineherd Eumaeus (John Leguizamo), loyal to the end, who teaches Telemachus and greets Odysseus on his return. Penelope using her wits and personal strength to hold off the suitors. And so many others.
The cast is incredible. This may be Damon’s best performance ever. He is shown as young in flashbacks and as wiser and tougher later. Hathaway is excellent as loyal wife and lover. Holland manages to balance as he moves from callow youth to far tougher warrior. Leguizamo is superb. Samantha Morton, as Circe, is a standout, dominating the screen for the short time she appears. Pattinson, usually the good guy, was as slimy as can be imagined. And there were so many others, often in performances that were small but vivid. Actors were ready to take on these parts just for the chance to work with Nolan.
There was some controversy about casting decisions. Greeks have been angry that there were none of them in key roles despite this being based on one of their most famous stories. And the filmmaker was mocked for having Lupita Nyong’o playing Helen of Troy. Yes, she does not look Greek, but the last actress to play her in a major way was Diane Kruger, a blonde, blue-eyed German, who also did not look Greek, and no one complained. Nyong’o is properly ferocious in the double role of Helen and her sister Clytemnestra, angry at how women were treated at that time.
The sets and the filming were spectacular. The film was shot entirely in IMAX, and that is probably the best way to fully appreciate it, but even on a regular screen, the movie and its situations were framed spectacularly. You can feel how small the sailors felt in the middle of the great seas.
Nolan will probably be nominated for and win many awards — and they will be deserved. The Odyssey was clearly a difficult film to make. There are many vivid events, gods and goddesses pop up and disappear. It is far more than an adventure story. It deals with complex situations of love and honor. The complexities of family get involved. Odysseus may be a hero, but, at times, his actions are far from heroic. The complexity has been a key factor in keeping the tale as powerful as it has for thousands of years.
See this movie? Absolutely. It is one of the best I have seen in years. Nolan is probably our most interesting director at this point, and this is one of his finest films. I plan to see it again, something I seldom do. But you should certainly see it.
