Christopher Nolan has once more brought epic cinema to audiences, and this time, he’s delving into the world of mythology.
The Odyssey, based on the classic story written by Ancient Greek poet Homer, brings to life the grand 20-year saga of a man’s unceasing will to return to those he loves, regardless of the trials he may face.
King of Ithaca Odysseus has served 10 long years in the Greek campaign against the city of Troy, waged in order to regain the Spartan king Menelaus’ kidnapped wife Helen, the fabled beauty whose was the ‘face that launched a thousand ships.’
Portrayed by Matt Damon, Odysseus is depicted as an everyman, with consistent morals the audience can identify with, who shows remorse for the horrors he unleashed as a general in the war effort.
Following the Greek victory and desolation of the city, thanks to the ingenuity of Odysseus’ Trojan horse scheme, he and his war-weary men embark on the homeward journey. However, it proves no easy task, as his ships are blown repeatedly off course.
Odysseus first lands on a seemingly uninhabited island for supplies, only to be trapped in a cave by a man-eating giant cyclops, Polyphemus, who devours several of his men. Employing his remarkable initiative, Odysseus escapes with the survivors, blinding Polyphemus in the process. This will prove an unwise choice, as Polyphemus’ father, the sea god Poseidon, will not forgive his son’s mutilation.
Blown off course again by the vengeful deity, Odysseus and his crew find themselves even less fortunate, landing in the forests of the giant Laestrygonians, who inflict even more severe casualties on the crew.
Reduced now to a small team of determined survivors, Odysseus and his men must use all their wits to stay alive in a world that seems to have turned against them.
Back home in the kingdom of Ithaca, Odysseus’ wife Penelope, portrayed by Anne Hathaway, refuses to abandon hope of her husband’s return, despite a house full of repugnant suitors endeavouring to win the queen’s hand in marriage, and drinking all her wine while at it.
Odysseus’ headstrong son Telemachus, played by Tom Holland, also believes his father still lives, and will embark on a journey to visit Menelaus, the returned king of Sparta, to learn what he can of his father’s fate. The conspiring suitors, however, will stop at nothing to ensure that Odysseus’ son will not stand in the way of their schemes.
Meanwhile, Odysseus is as determined as ever to reach Ithaca. His crew, however, lack their leader’s foresight and cunning, and as they continue their journey, they will prove to be more of a burden than a blessing to the embattled king.
As Odysseus hops from one magical island to another, his adventures grow even more colourful. He will see his crew transformed into pigs, converse with the spirits of his dead army and face one stormy sea after another, all as he ploughs on to his home. He will be face off against sea monsters and resist the seduction of the legendary sea sirens, all as related by the epic poem from Ancient Greece.
The Odyssey is reminiscent, in many ways, of 300 and, of course, Troy. Overall, it outdoes these in faithfulness to its source material.
Viewing the movie, those with a passion for history and mythology may take issue with certain inaccuracies in the film’s depictions of the Greeks. Suits of armour depart markedly from what historians have identified as those of the era, with that of king Agamemnon, leader of the Greek siege of Troy, resembling more of a bat suit from Nolan’s Dark Knight films than anything authentically ancient Greek. The film’s ships also resemble more those of the Vikings than a Greek design.
The film prioritises the thrill of its scenery and sound effects in a way that fails to capture the subtle storytelling and beauty of Homer’s work, though this will bother only the nerdiest viewer. Most of the lead characters are portrayed as relatively one-dimensional, though this is faithful to the source material, where they exist more as archetypes than human characters.
Overall loyal to its source material, Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey is a rip-roaring adventure that will entertain virtually all who watch it and give a solid introduction to one of the Western world’s oldest and most thrilling stories to all those not familiar with it.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Rated: R
Distributor: Universal Pictures
In cinemas now
