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Written by: Christopher Nolan (written for the screen by), Homer (based on "The Odyssey" by)
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Benny Safdie
Rated: R
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Plot
After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Calypso along the way.
Verdict
This is a historical epic that lives up to that grand title. It's exhilarating. Of course, watching it on an IMAX screen accentuates that. The trials of Odysseus are harrowing. After the horrors of war, he only wants to ensure his men return home. He's as eager as they are. What befalls them is death at every step by monsters, giants, and even a trip through Hades. The production value is unparalleled as this always feels authentic, though for understandable reasons this doesn't try to match the ancient speech, taking a contemporary approach. Odysseus's tribulations are the foundation for his thrilling final feat of securing his son's safety as he finally returns home.
Watch It.
Review
This is the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX cameras. Before this the cameras were so loud that it made recording audible dialog impossible. Nolan wanted to film entirely with IMAX cameras, so the company creates equipment boxes to quiet the cameras.
Odysseus's (Matt Damon) plight through the movie sets up the final act when he finally returns home and must save his family; his son from jealous suitors and his wife from those same men. In turn Odysseus must embrace what haunts him. He regrets Troy. His Trojan Horse is the reason they took Troy, but he broke Zeus's law of hospitality. He took the city through a trick that appeared to be a peace offering. The deception haunts him, and he can't separate himself from it as violating that law is also the key to saving his wife and son, though it will result either in his death or exile if he somehow survives.
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| Matt Damon plays Odysseus |
It took a minute for the movie to get it's footing as it bounced between Odysseus having visions of Athena (Zendaya) and then his time with Calypso (Charlize Theron). He can't remember his past. Meanwhile, we see his grown son in Ithaca where the island needs a king, with only a few of them still hoping for Odysseus to return. I assumed the movie would start closer to Odysseus's hardships.
His son Telemachus (Tom Holland) still believes his father will return while various suitors vie for his mother Penelope's (Anne Hathaway) attention. The many suitors remain feasting in the castle per the law of Zeus. Guests and strangers must receive hospitality. Tired of hosting these threats, Telemachus is desperate for proof his father survived, traveling to Sparta. That's where he hears the story about the Trojan Horse, and his father the hero.
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| Tom Holland plays Telemachus |
Calypso encourages Odysseus to remember his past. He begins to remember his men and their trials, but he can't recall if he had a wife or child. His men left Troy, opting for a more direct route home. In trying to return to Ithaca quicker, it sets him on a course that would keep him away decades. Each obstacle leaves men dead, soldiers he vowed to bring home. They first encounter a cyclops while searching for provisions, and they believe that encounter brought bad luck on the seas. Another island leads to an encounter with giants that sends them running back to their boats. On the next landing, the men want Odysseus to stay back, believing he's in part to blame for their bad luck. That doesn't change their result, but it is Odysseus that manages to save them. In turn Odysseus is informed he must go to Hades before he gets home. He gets a message that despite his attempts, he's the only one that will survive. They encounter sirens and monsters before landing on another island, finally out of supplies. Despite all of his attempts, Odysseus is the only one that survives. Calypso finds him and spends years with him, helping him forget. She accuses him of not wanting to go back, and while we don't understand it at that point, seeing the battle of Troy from Odysseus's perspective.
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| Robert Pattinson plays Antinous |
Odysseus's regrets the Trojan Horse. It was an affront, tricking their enemies through a peace offering. It's only towards the end that we learn about his disdain over the war, a war he didn't even want to join. You don't refuse the king. All of the death in Troy is part of why he fought so hard to keep his men alive. He finally makes it back to Ithaca, hiding his identity as he gets the lay of the land. He first visits his faithful advisor, Eumaeus (John Leguizamo). That's where he discovers Telemachus is in trouble. The most villainous of the suitors, Antinous (Robert Pattinson), plans to remove his competition for the throne, Telemachus. Odysseus saves him, but even in that encounter we see this rift between wanting to honor the dead while staying alive. Telemachus is shocked Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, plans to leave the dead as they lay. Odysseus made every effort to keep his men alive, and it didn't matter.
Returning to Ithaca, and this is where the foundation this movie has created pays off, Odysseus devises a plan to get rid of the suitors and allow his son to take the throne. We know who he is, eagerly anticipating that reveal to those closest to him. The suitors must die, and while that means breaking Zeus's primary law of hospitality, it's nothing he hasn't done before. This is the dichotomy. Greece sees him as the legendary hero of Troy, he believes he violated the law of hospitality. Odysseus plans to take out all of the suitors while winning his wife Penelope's challenge for her next husband. She challenges all of them to string Odysseus's bow. None of the suitors can, and they regard Odysseus, still appearing as a beggar, like some kind of joke. Even as a nobody, hospitality dictates he gets a seat at the table. You never know when a god could be disguised as a beggar. He strings the bow, and then begins firing arrows at everyone It's quite the fight, but by undertaking this Odysseus also seals his fate. The home he endured so much trouble to set foot on again, he only experiences it briefly. Odysseus does ensure a place for his son and finally reaches his wife.
Despite the length this doesn't feel long. Especially on the big screen this seems larger than life, and every monster encounter becomes an intense adventure. I don't think I'm biased by the size and scale of my experience. This movie is a journey, both across the world and the mental journey for Odysseus. He must confront his deeds while focusing on the future. Odysseus's return home is bittersweet as his plan to save his son means violating the law of hospitality that has fueled his regret. Everyone sees him as the hero of Troy, but he doesn't buy into it.
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