The Odyssey Review

Homer’s Odyssey is one of the oldest surviving pieces of fiction. It serves as the source material for Christopher Nolan’s 13th film, with him making it into an epic fantasy with an ensemble cast.

Odysseus (Matt Damon) is the king of Ithaca, and his genius led to the end of the 10-year-long Trojan War. His journey back to his home with his soldiers is fraught with fantastical dangers and tests the loyalty of his crew. In Ithaca, Odysseus’ palace has been overtaken by suitors for Penelope’s (Anne Hathaway) hand in marriage, and Penelope and Odysseus’ son, Telemachus (Tom Holland) seek a way to rid their home of these interlopers.

Christopher Nolan doesn’t need an introduction: he is one of the most successful directors in Hollywood who has a license to make anything he wants. Oppenheimer won his long-overdue Oscar, and it was the most financially successful biopic until Michael recently overtook it. The Odyssey has been met with near-universal praise and the largest opening weekend in Nolan’s career, despite the efforts of some worst people on YouTube.

Early in Nolan’s career, he was offered the chance to direct Troy but chose to make Batman Begins instead. Most film fans would agree that Nolan made the right choice. Whilst it would have been interesting to see Nolan’s Troy, it would have been a studio job. The Odyssey was pure Nolan. It had his storytelling style, a cast filled with A-list talent, and every department was firing on all cylinders. The Odyssey is already an awards contender, especially for its technical achievements.

Throughout his career, Nolan has played around with timelines. The most notable films were Memento, Interstellar, and Tenet, where time was a major story element; Oppenheimer and Dunkirk had three timelines; and Batman Begins and Inception used a lot of flashbacks. The Odyssey was a film about storytelling and mythmaking. The film opens with Phemius (Travis Scott) telling the story of how Odysseus won the 10-year war, and Odysseus tells his story of his voyage to Calypso (Charlize Theron). Many other characters told of events like the sacking of Troy, and what happened to some of the veterans when they returned home. Odysseus’ journey was one with detours, and that was how The Odyssey told its story.

The Odyssey was a story about the impact of war and explores it in different ways. It was a veteran story, and many people were haunted by it. Odysseus was a conflicted character because of his actions in the war. He went a different route than Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) and the rest of the Greek army, so he distanced himself from his actions, resulting in him getting lost. The camaraderie between Odysseus and his crew was strained as they questioned whether he wanted to go back home; Odysseus did leave behind a wife and son who had to deal with the consequences of his absence. Odysseus aimed to protect his men despite the warnings he got from the Gods that he was the only man destined to return to Ithaca, and Odysseus’ second-in-command, Eurylochus (Himesh Patel), questioned his king’s actions. Odysseus was a man of honour, but he ended up having to perform dishonourable actions and break important Greek customs, suffering the weight of the consequences.

Other major figures also suffered in the war. These included Helen of Troy (Lupita Nyong’o), whose actions left a mark, and Agamemnon’s actions before the war had consequences. Circe (Samantha Morton) pointed out the consequences of war on the civilians.

The war had a larger impact on the civilised world. It destabilised the world with stories of the dreaded Sea People rampaging across the Mediterranean, and kingdoms needed to prepare their defences. Ithaca without a king was a prime target and needed leadership. History enthusiasts would love this little detail since it suggests the Trojan War was responsible for the Bronze Age collapse.

Before The Odyssey’s release, it was targeted by historians and culture war grifters. Historians had some legitimate concerns about costumes and the armour, whilst people like the Scottish Alcoholic and the ex-meth dealer complained that the film had a diversified cast. A historically accurate version of the story performed in Greek and with actors from Southern Europe would have been awesome, but it wouldn’t have been marketable. The Odyssey was a fantasy film in a mythical past, making it more like Excalibur or Three Thousand Years of Longing. It’s a film that features witches and nymphs, gods, a cyclops, armoured giants, and the vengeful dead, so audiences will be able to suspend their sense of disbelief.

The mix of history, myth, and horror made The Odyssey feel like a Robert Eggers film. Eggers is known for making The VVitch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman, historical movies with a horror or mythological edge. The Odyssey was the closest we will ever get to a Christopher Nolan horror movie. There were some disturbing moments: the Cyclops ate people like a titan from Attack on Titan, and a girl with a haunting scream. The animal transformation scene was a fantastic piece of body horror. The scene when Odysseus heard the Sirens’ song and was in agony was haunting, and it didn’t even require violence.

I will make an embarrassing confession: I’m most familiar with The Simpsons parody, and there were moments I did think of the animated version because it had some great jokes. Luckily, these moments were few and far between. Homer’s Odyssey has over 100 years of on-screen adaptations, so audiences will probably compare it to other versions, where it’s animated space-opera, a Coen Brothers ‘30s set crime caper, or a retelling starring a Jack Russell.

The Odyssey was a film that’s worthy of the word epic, a grand piece of fantasy with equally grand themes and ideas. It’s everything a big-budget blockbuster should be.