Alex Moss EditorThe cinematic landscape and future, much like the current political one, is in a state of transition. With the rise of AI, the over reliance on CGI and the saturation of superheroes there has been an assumption that cinemagoers have grown weary of enjoying the cinematic experience. Amid the chaos, however, there are a handful of filmmakers who are determined, and earned the right and reputation, to make films the way they want. Christopher Nolan is one such filmmaker and because of his name above the title The Odyssey‘s box office will surely remind Hollywood that what filmgoers want is a reason to pay to see a film outside the comfort of their own home. So is The Odyssey worth the journey?
Sticking closely to Homer’s text, The Odyssey finds Odysseus (Matt Damon) orchestrating the sacking of Troy before embarking on the dangerous journey home. In his absence his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) are playing politics to try and keep the would-be suitors to Odysseus’ crown at bay. As his journey takes him to literal hell and back Odysseus comes to realise what true sacrifice is.
Christopher Nolan is a master at hiding a film’s true meaning in plain sight before revealing it in the third act in such a way as to leave you speechless. The Odyssey might be based on one of the most known ancient pieces of intellectual property but still Nolan manages to inject something powerfully poignant to a modern audience.
For the first two thirds of the film we’re immersed in a world of gods, monsters and destiny to articulate Odysseus’ post-traumatic stress of his time in the Trojan War, his guilt at leading so many men to their deaths’ and of the home he left behind that is slowly falling into decay in his absence. It’s an awe inspiring journey and one that Nolan executes in the most old-school Hollywood manner imaginable. Where CGI is used it is used sparingly and more often than not, hard to spot. This is epic filmmaking akin to David Lean, thousands of extras storming a stronghold, giants attacking men all done in camera and all the more tangible and amazing to witness.
And as if all that wasn’t enough, come the climax Nolan does that thing of pulling the rug from beneath in the most poetic and powerful way. Because what he has been building to feels so relevant to the world we’re living in that it almost stings. For all the regret he has, Odysseus’ biggest realisation is the moral corruption of the society he has fought and likewise been responsible for. As we witness the power hungry cast those beneath them further under their heel, it’s hard not to feel, despite its ancient Greek setting, that Nolan’s world is painfully close to the corrupt one we currently live in.
The cast is stacked with names. Almost every named character is either an A-lister or a recognisable face. Tom Holland demonstrates that he has range way above his current Spiderman stable, offering a determined yet naive interpretation of Telemachus. Anne Hathaway brings a stoic ferocity to Penelope, her posture more than anything conveying something powerfully regal. Carrying the weight of the emotional investment though is Matt Damon. Nolan needed an everyman to really make this role sing. While Damon is in extraordinary shape for the role he never feels superhero buff but rather real-world toned. So much of what Damon does here is essential to conveying Nolan’s message of sadness, regret and guilt at the burden he carries throughout his decades long voyage home. For every act of the film Damon’s performance perfectly captures Odysseus’ development from anger, denial and acceptance that the world he held so dear has fallen apart around him, and that he might be largely responsible for it.
A film richly layered and one that will demand repeat viewings, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey reminds you what cinema can and always should strive to be; a story that captures the imagination, makes you think and takes you on a journey that will live long in the memory after you’ve left the cinema.
