The Odyssey

 

Score:  A

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, et al

Running time: 173 minutes

Rated R

Long Story Short:  Renowned director Christopher Nolan follows up his Best Picture-winning Oppenheimer with a breathtaking adaptation of the classic story of The Odyssey.  In some ways a sprawling, 3-hour epic, Nolan still focuses keenly on Odysseus and his family, splitting time between the mythological journey and the political struggle at home.  The visuals of the adventure demand to be seen on the big screen, and if anything leave you craving more.  But what elevates this above most other epics is a thoughtful new interpretation of the ancient story that gives the whole thing new meaning.

The world's most famous story gets a fittingly grand adaptation from one of today's best directors, Christopher Nolan, both honoring and reforming a cinematic epic.  The Odyssey is pretty darn well known, of course (although I admit that I only remembered the broad outlines and most famous scenes).  Nolan's trademark of manipulating the chronology to maximize dramatic effect, therefore, is particularly valuable here.  He switches back and forth between two main areas of action: Odysseus (Damon) and his men's struggles to return home to Ithaca after the end of the Trojan war, and in Ithaca itself as his wife and son, Penelope (Hathaway) and Telemachus (Holland), struggle to prevent usurpers from taking over.  I was surprised by how much time is devoted to the Ithaca parts and think it would have been better to focus more on Odysseus, but it's a relatively minor quibble.  One reason for that is the split in thematic elements: Ithaca is about political machinations while Odysseus's journey is almost purely sensory, with awe-inspiring visuals that blend the magic of the gods seamlessly with the gorgeous scenery and blood, sweat, and tears of the soldiers.  This magic is one of the two major superpowers of the movie.  It's the feeling of cool-overwhelm in trying to make out the massive Cyclops in his cave; of dread as the giants pick apart defenseless soldiers; of horror as Circe literally shapes men into pigs; of edge-of-your-seat tension as the ship navigates Scylla and Charybdis.  And Nolan somehow achieves this with little if any awareness of CGI effects, making it feel all the more real.  If anything, I wanted more time with these wonders, despite this being a 3-hour movie (so yes, chopping some time from Penelope, Telemachus & Co. would have helped).  In some cases more build-up would have been excellent (the giants); or in the action itself (S&C plus the Sirens).  Still, the adventure we do get, along with scenes from the Trojan war carefully built up throughout the movie, is an experience that must be had in a theater.

The cast of The Odyssey is quite good, and Nolan's inclusion - and emphasis - of a new theme is bold and also what should make this a true classic.  Damon does great work, perhaps career-best, as Odysseus, a man of many parts but still kept cohesive in his performance.  He is wise and thoughtful, yes, but his pride gets him into trouble and he struggles with his ethical choices and burdens.  Damon makes him sympathetic but not overly so; he splits the difference between hero and anti-hero.  Hathaway and Holland are excellent as his family, on the same side yet frequently in disagreement; both have noble sentiments that are well-balanced by their psychological and physical limitations.  Pattinson leads the villains who are suitably despicable, and Leguizamo is an essential side player as the longtime family servant.  Also notable is Odysseus's faithful dog who lives an unnaturally long life in awaiting his master's return; the abuse he suffers is the most heartbreaking part of the movie (IMO; I almost cried!) but gets a brief if much-deserved ending.  

This character work is all well and good but felt unremarkable up to a certain point - until, that is, Odysseus's confession to Penelope on the eve of the finale.  What was once a hero's tale of a great triumph in Troy followed by a series of tests from the gods is turned on its head.  Odysseus's clever horse trick did not enable victory - it caused an atrocity, against an entire people and even the gods themselves.  His trials (from Cyclops and Circe to the final storm at sea) were not tests from the gods but punishment.  Nolan wisely uses Odysseus's years with Calypso as the turning point, where he comes to understand his feelings as ultimately that of guilt - so much so that he has not actually wanted to return home.  Imbued with this knowledge, he takes on humble form back in Ithaca, almost Christ-like, as he puts aside ego and seeks atonement.  The finale is thus a well-earned action scene that throbs with meaning for Odysseus, his family, and even civilization itself as he fights to bring justice to those who have violated Zeus's law - hosts must welcome and serve their guests, who must in turn honor them.  The last frame gives the movie a fitting end in not giving the Odysseus the spoils of the victor but rather the opportunity to repent.  Nolan's interpretation of this ancient story turns a thrilling yet otherwise simplistic tale into one of great value and true art.

***

The Odyssey marks the first great movie of the year I've seen, and it is little surprise (although with some relief, too) that it is Christopher Nolan's latest.  This is definitely a movie that must be seen in the theater; while I didn't see it in IMAX, a regular theater is plenty good enough.  Yes, Nolan gives you all the blockbuster-type action you'd like - but his filmmaking prowess goes far beyond that as well, as I've hopefully demonstrated above.  A number of Nolan's movies have fallen just short of greatness because of one significant flaw or another, but I tend to focus on his flaws more than other filmmakers' simply because the good parts of his movies are so good that I long to see them "perfected".  So far, I think Nolan's Dunkirk and The Dark Knight are his "perfect" movies, with plenty of other really good movies (with flaws) as well.  I'm not sure whether The Odyssey will join the other two all-time greats yet or not but it's certainly close.  Anyway, I urge any adult to see this movie in the theater some time!

* By source, Universal Pictures Publicity, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80308811