 |
| The Odyssey |
Universal Pictures
Cast: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Bill Irwin, Corey Hawkins, Mia Goth
Music: Ludwig Göransson
Cinematography: Hoyte van Hoytema
Producers: Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas
Runtime: 173 minutes
Written by: Christopher Nolan
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
After ten brutal years of war during the Battle of Troy, the legendary King Odysseus (Oscar winner Matt Damon) longs to return to his homeland of Ithaca, where his devoted wife, Penelope (Oscar winner Anne Hathaway), and their now-grown son, Telemachus (Goya nominee Tom Holland), have spent the last seventeen years wondering whether he is alive or dead. As Odysseus and the few surviving members of his crew endure a perilous journey across unforgiving seas, encountering monsters, gods, witches, and temptations that continually test their resolve, Penelope and Telemachus struggle to protect Ithaca from an increasingly desperate group of suitors seeking to claim Odysseus’ throne by forcing Penelope to marry. With so much time having passed and physical dangers standing between him and his home, Odysseus’ greatest obstacle is confronting the moral consequences of the decisions he made during and after the Trojan War, forcing him to question whether the man who left Ithaca is worthy of returning to it.
It comes as no surprise that following the successful beginning of Nolan’s partnership with Universal thanks to “Oppenheimer” (2023) and its avalanche of financial and awards success (including the Oscar), Nolan was given a blank check by the company to do whatever he wanted. With a $250 million budget, his usual team of technical collaborators, and his wife, Oscar winner Emma Thomas, once again serving as producer, Nolan sets out to revisit a mythical and exquisite Greek poem by Homer that has endured for 3,000 years thanks to its countless interpretations by writers and historians.
So, how does Nolan adapt the story of Odysseus in a way that justifies its existence and captures the attention of today’s audiences in 2026? How can a thousand-year-old story make the so-called “snowflake generation,” the Twitter generation that complains about everything, gets bored, and cancels/destroys anything it considers unacceptable to the point of believing it owns the absolute truth in 140 characters, get out of their chairs/couches and head to the movie theater?
Love, pain, shame, leadership, responsibility, and longing are the main qualities possessed by our protagonists. Perhaps we start there with one of the director’s wisest decisions: eliminating the mythological creatures themselves from his screenplay. We know very well that Nolan is enemy number one of CGI and only uses it when the story requires it, so don’t be surprised to see plenty of practical effects in the battle sequences and fantastical elements of the story, along with another effective visual decision: the natural locations where the film was shot. Nolan is a purist when it comes to making things as real as possible.
Nolan takes a risk, as he did with “Oppenheimer” (2023), by presenting his narrative in a nonlinear fashion. This requires the audience to stop stuffing themselves with popcorn and cold sodas for a moment and pay complete and undivided attention (something Nolan demanded from us in “Inception” (2010)). Anyone expecting a straightforward adaptation of Homer’s poem may initially feel disoriented by the structure of the story, as it jumps between Odysseus’ perspective, Telemachus’ search for his father, and the events of the Trojan War, gradually revealing the film’s major themes. Nolan throws the pieces onto the table, and we have to assemble this puzzle in our heads. Because of this, the narrative tone will not appeal to everyone. Nolan compensates with spectacular visuals, but I feel he surpasses his own ambition. If Odysseus is portrayed as broken, taciturn, and vulnerable (a cliché word among movie reviewers) because he cannot return home, it is because Nolan wants the audience to feel it; hence the fragmentation.
Nolan gives himself the luxury of showing not only Telemachus’ physical evolution but also his emotional growth. Tom Holland shines in a role that demands a degree of maturity from him, giving us the evolution of a character who goes from boy to man and must defend his mother and kingdom while simultaneously dealing with the suitors seeking to marry Penelope, even though she still holds an eternal love for Odysseus. Holland has the ability, and here, under the guidance of his director, he proves it by making us forget that everything does not revolve around Peter Parker (at least two weeks before the release of the new “Spider-Man” movie).
What Is the Law of Zeus?
Also known as xenia, in ancient Greece it was a sacred concept of hospitality and friendship between host and guest. As such, it was a tradition of hospitality in which hosts were expected to offer food, shelter, and protection to anyone who requested it, regardless of whether they were a stranger and without regard to gender, ethnic origin, or social status.
Nolan uses xenia to show how humanity can violate it, the perception people can have of others as genuine threats, pawns in a game played against our own interests, or simply as inferior to ourselves. In other words, for those who need it spelled out, this would be just another normal day on Twitter. Is humanity responsible for its own destruction? Is it divine punishment for our repeated violations of morality and proper conduct?
Odysseus challenges the gods, but he tries to make his men proud. He is a responsible leader, but one who is not free from guilt and remorse. Odysseus makes decisions that he believes will protect his men, but he is also willing to make sacrifices if it means the majority will survive. How could he return home and expect things to be as they were before he left? The world is constantly changing; the kingdom of Ithaca is not the same one he left ten years ago. It would be nice to live in a world today where leaders took responsibility for their actions, where their shame forced them into exile, and where they could see their fellow human beings as equals rather than pieces on a board to be moved and manipulated for their own benefit. Penelope comments on this at one point, and Nolan uses the speech to connect this story with “Oppenheimer” (2023) and its powerful, prophetic ending.
Odysseus’ journey achieves absolute credibility thanks to Matt Damon’s performance. As he has discussed in the featurettes, this is the film that has demanded the most from him physically, from his appearance to the suffering he conveys as a result of his actions. It is refreshing to see the protagonist of an epic not simply be an invincible hero, but instead have a dramatic arc to explore that enriches his development and allows us to become invested in his suffering, making us just as eager as he is to see him reclaim his throne and reunite with his family. Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway provides the film’s aura of hope and unwavering love as Penelope. She is not only suffering from uncertainty over whether her man is still alive; she must also deal with greedy suitors and a son who is searching for himself. John Leguizamo makes the most of his screen time to display his devotion to Odysseus. Himesh Patel has plenty to do as Eurylochus, Odysseus’ second-in-command. Robert Pattinson’s Antinous displays his excessive ambition with an eccentric touch, making him a somewhat unconventional antagonist.
Nolan flirts with horror for the first time, thanks to a magnificent performance from Oscar nominee Samantha Morton as Circe, a witch and goddess of the island of Aeaea, where Odysseus and his men arrive hoping to find shelter and food. Zendaya is Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war, and craftsmanship, who protects Odysseus on his journey. She appears throughout the story from time to time, walking alongside Odysseus, speaking with him, and attempting to guide him and help him see what he did and what he had long forgotten. However, it is not until the third act that the true purpose of her character is revealed. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o was chosen by the director to play Helen of Troy, described as the most beautiful woman in the world, whose abduction sparked the war of a thousand ships — and a thousand tweets a day complaining about the decision. Her participation involves two characters, and although her performance is effective (given the screen time), it does not manage to drown out the noise surrounding her casting. She is simply an actress playing a fictional character.
Some of Nolan’s decisions throughout the runtime are questionable. His need to be so realistic continues to make it difficult for him to get the extras to truly participate in the action rather than simply recite the choreography (as in “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)). As I mentioned several paragraphs above, the director is not fond of CGI, but it feels as though a good combination of practical effects and visual effects would have benefited the narrative. You will see what I mean with Scylla and the sirens.
“The Odyssey” (2026) is a large-scale triumph for the director and his collaborators. Oscar winner Hoyte van Hoytema takes advantage of the natural locations and the presence of the actors to showcase the vastness of the mythological world and the different layers of humanity. The sound, Ludwig Göransson’s original score combining Greek and modern elements, and the costumes (another controversial point) all immerse us in the journey, torment us along the way, and ultimately allow us to rejoice at the end.
The story is not foreign to Nolan’s filmography: men searching for the meaning of their existence, a purpose, sacrificing what is theirs for the sake of the greater good, struggling against complex adversities even when doing so may affect many others — all with irreversible consequences. Nolan, loved and hated by many, always generates conversation. His films are true events for moviegoers eager for his powerful visual and narrative impact. A co-writer would have been beneficial to the film’s ambitions and to the overwhelming nature it sometimes reaches.
Post a Comment