I saw this film today, and I debated even writing about it because it feels like everyone has already perfectly described it. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is a spectacular movie, an adaptation of one of the most influential works of literature in history. Nolan’s style is perfect for this take on Homer’s epic, and it explores themes that the original did not touch as much. For example, it is highly familiar with Oppenheimer, as it focuses on the aftermath of war and the destruction of man. I believe that his signature nonlinear format worked here amazingly because, in the beginning, it showcases Odysseus’s Trojan horse as a brilliant strategy, but by the end, you see that this move was seen as uncivilized and weighs on him tremendously. I also liked the tragedy that strikes on this long journey. Some scenes had major horror elements and got a scare out of me.
The casting was mostly great. Matt Damon was amazing as always, alongside Anne Hathaway. Tom Holland felt a little out of place, and his acting obviously wasn’t as good as his scene partners’, but this was still probably his best performance. After seeing the movie, I realized that the whole controversy surrounding certain casting choices was embarrassing. First of all, Lupita Nyong’o was fine and barely had any screen time to begin with. Elliot Page was actually good in his role and did not play Achilles, which people seemed to think was the case. Travis Scott was a bizarre choice, but he was alright; however, his song at the end was dumb. Some of the acting in this movie was great, and you wouldn’t expect it. Himesh Patel as Eurolochus was touching and contrasted with Matt Damon perfectly. John Leguizamo as Eumaeus was emotional and my personal favorite; Robert Pattinson as Antinous was amazing. He played such an unlikable character and had these small actions of body language that made him iconic.
There are very few flaws in this movie, but there are elements I wish were done better. I read the book back in high school, and I felt like there were parts that were left out of the movie that shouldn’t have been. For instance, the cyclops, Polyphemus, wasn’t really a character in this. Rather than having full conversations with Odysseus leading to him being outsmarted like in the book, he acts as this monster who barely talks, and I couldn’t understand what he even said. Another small disappointment was the lack of an intense Ludwig Goransson track like Oppenheimer’s. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t have great tracks. There are some chilling drum sequences and a siren song that plays at perfect moments that made me tear up.
But overall, this movie will be a classic. The sets are breathtaking, the action is great, and every minute of the three-hour runtime is earned. To me, everything felt like it was in that period, and the tiny details and character designs really enhanced this. The themes in this movie really made me think after the viewing. The fact that Odysseus was so full of dread and guilt that he was hesitant to go home. He heard the siren’s song and ate the lotus flower, wanting to give in to an eternal release from his mental shackles, yet his love for Penelope and his kingdom drove him to continue on his titular odyssey. The same love that he had for his “loyal” men, whom he constantly risked his life and even defied the gods to protect, but who betrayed him and gave in to their hopelessness. That is a horror far greater than any of the uncanny appearances of the practical-effects monsters.
Final Count: 9/10
Written by James Michael Counts
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