Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Inception, Batman Begins) wrote and directed this action fantasy based on Homer’s epic poem about Odysseus (Matt Damon), king of Ithaca, who after the Trojan War faces a dangerous voyage home to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway). During the perilous journey, he encounters creatures such as the cyclops Polyphemus (Bill Irwin), the Sirens, and the nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron). (172 min.)
Glen I’m shocked at the number of critics and online commenters who are panning The Odyssey. Maybe they went in with certain expectations that weren’t met. Were they expecting something akin to Troy (2004), Clash of the Titans (1981, 2010), or Jason and the Argonauts? Nolan took liberties with the more than 12,000-line poem, leaving out parts and embellishing others, which for didactic classicists might be an affront. However, if you go in open-minded, you’ll find an epic story about immigration, military aggression, and the importance of civility, aka Zeus’ Law—essentially the Golden Rule to do unto others as you would have done unto you. Odysseus is a man wracked with guilt who believes his Trojan Horse trickery has been an affront to the gods, leading to his trials and tribulations. The Bronze Age is imploding and corruption reigns. Leave it to Nolan to take a 3,000-year-old poem and make it a reflection of today.
THE ODYSSEY
What’s it rated? R
What’s it worth, Anna? Full price
What’s it worth, Glen? Full price
Where’s it showing? Bay, Colony, Downtown Center, Fair Oaks, Palm, Park, Stadium 10
Anna I’ve heard a lot of “it’s good, but it isn’t Oppenheimer” in critiques of The Odyssey, and I say to those who live life in comparison mode: “Good, it isn’t Oppenheimer!” Nolan is an incredible writer-director, one who deserves to give us movies that are not carbon copies of each other, and when you look at the themes, I dare say you may find two very similar men as the titular characters of both films. Brilliance begets destruction quite often, and Odysseus is a man we find in the wake of that realization. He’s struggling to remember not just what he has done but who he is—why exactly he yearns to find home so deeply. At Ithaca, Penelope holds an ardent love for her husband, last seen more than 20 years ago. Her grown son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), has been raised in the turbulence of a kingdom without a king, and his need to know of his father’s fate soon sends him on his own perilous journey. Antinous (Robert Pattinson) is a loathsome but cunning suitor, ready to upend the crown. It’s Homer’s sweeping tale brought to us with true Hollywood flare. I loved it.
Glen The film sometimes breezes over story elements, like The Siren section, which is great but not fully developed, but it handles other elements in interesting and surprising ways. The scene with Samantha Morton as Circe, the witch goddess who turns Odysseus’ men into pigs, is amazing, and Morton delivers an intensely thrilling performance. Likewise, the interaction with the cyclops is so layered with meaning, and Bill Irwin, the actor and clown, is perfect for the role. Instead of our classic idea of a cyclops, his face is twisted and deformed, and his character becomes one of sympathy, not horror. If I ever get a chance to see this in IMAX, I’d gladly watch it again. It’s a stunning achievement.
Anna Irwin’s performance and the digital design of the character made him so sympathetic. I remember in reading the poem feeling as if the urgency was to flee a terrible beast, but in the film, I saw little more than a wounded animal, a simple sheep farmer tending to his flock. I found the film moving, and, while epic in length at three hours, well worth it. Nothing but praise from me. ∆
Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
