“Tell me about a complicated man.”
This is the controversial line that begins Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey.
The controversy lies in the choice of the word “complicated” as a stand in for the original Greek word “ polytropos ,” directly translating to something along the lines of “of many turns” or “turning in many ways”. In translating a word that can be interpreted in a myriad of ways to the more digestible, understandable “complicated,” Wilson sacrifices the complexity of the original Greek in exchange for more direct, modern language.
It is this version that Christopher Nolan chose as his inspiration for his epic film, The Odyssey. And interestingly, “complicated” and “controversial” float around not just Wilson’s translation, but Nolan’s film as well. The difference is, Wilson had 600 pages to explore the storytelling and character depth in ways beyond language. Nolan had three hours.
Now, don’t get me wrong, The Odyssey is a brilliant film in its own right. It is a Nolan film, after all, and while it never reaches the heights of Nolan’s best like Oppenheimer or The Dark Knight , it is still probably one of the best movies of the year so far. The reason I, and so many others, have such complicated feelings about it is because of a love and protectiveness surrounding the masterpiece that is Homer’s The Odyssey.
You see, when discussing a tale as old and complex as The Odyssey in modern day, especially in regards to Nolan’s film, there are three versions at play.
Of course, there’s the main one for today, Nolan’s The Odyssey. Then, there’s the original masterpiece, Homer’s The Odyssey. And, one that can simply be understood as the bridge between the two, Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey.
When you go into a movie you expect to be an adaptation of such a literary and cultural giant, I’m certain nothing could ever live up to your expectations. Especially when the film isn’t even trying to be an adaptation, in all honesty. Despite these expectations, this is very much an interpretation or retelling of The Odyssey more than it is an adaptation. But, once you understand that this is not Nolan adapting Homer’s The Odyssey, but Nolan’s The Odyssey built upon the foundations of Homer, the movie becomes a wonderful watch.
For those who have read the original, understand that this is an interpretation of it meant to align with Nolan’s own directorial vision, and one that is executed quite well. For those that haven’t, simply brush up on your Greek mythology and enjoy what is perhaps one of the most visually beautiful and consuming epic sagas of the year.
Centred around the Bronze Age collapse and the beast within, The Odyssey primarily focuses Odysseus’s own guilt and inner turmoil after the fall of Troy, and his struggles with facing a world after the sacred boundaries of humanity have been crossed. It’s quite relevant to today, I would say. In fact, The Odyssey almost feels like a companion piece to Oppenheimer in the sense of being quite personal to Nolan himself, and quite specific to the times. I’m trying not to get into too many spoilers, because it really would be an injustice to not see this film on the big screen yourself, but the character of Odysseus is treated with ample care.
The same can be said about the relationship between him and his wife, Penelope. In fact, I would say the scenes with the two together are the film’s highlights, with the scenes of them pining for the each other coming in close seconds. Those are the emotional beats carried over from Homer’s original work, and despite the omission of the legendary “olive tree” exchange, the core of their love is preserved.
In fact, every scene set in Odysseus’s home of Ithaca is a delight, perhaps because of Ithaca as a marvellous set within which the story is truly allowed to breath and unfold, as opposed to the sometimes rushed sea sagas, but primarily because Ithaca is the heart of the film. Not just in the sense of a home, but for everything it represents to those who reside there and to those who are trying to find their way back. In a movie where a significant portion feels rushed and underdeveloped, centring the story back on Ithaca allows for moments of both anchoring and boiling tension, all of which pays off in a classic Nolan ending.
As our titular character, Odysseus, this may truly be a career best performance for Matt Damon. Captivating, heartbreaking and fearsome in nearly every scene, he understands and plays to all facets of Odysseus’s character, with a performance that allows you to forgive the shortcomings of complexity as compared to his book counterpart. Similarly, Anne Hathaway completely dominates every time she’s on screen. The strength, fury, and especially grief she portrays is as near a perfect Penelope as can be, and both Hathaway and Damon together make the Penelope-Odysseus moments hit that much harder.
However, the standout performance has to come from Robert Pattinson, who proves once again he is currently the best he’s ever been, bringing a unique, cracking energy. Honourable mentions are Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, Samantha Morton as Circe and John Leguizamo as Eumaeus — all in all melting into their characters and bringing their sequences to life.
In such a brilliant cast, the weak links aren’t exactly… bad, but standing beside some actors at the top of their game isn’t a very good look. Tom Holland as Telemachus, while delivering a harmless performance, was simply that. Fine. The same is true for Zendaya’s Athena, although that might also have to do with the lack of depth and presence of both characters.
Nolan’s desire to choose style over substance in moments shows within the The Odyssey through plot sequences that are rushed in exchange for runtime that could have been spent on underdeveloped characters or concepts. It is not so heinous as to ruin the whole movie, but prominent enough to be noticeable, and to remove The Odyssey for being a contender within Nolan’s top five films.
With absolutely stunning cinematography that served the story, practical effects that absolutely paid off and immersed one fully within the world, and a musical score that revives ancient instruments, The Odyssey is undeniably an extraordinary feat, and, undoubtedly, a very good movie. Flawed, yes, as almost every film is, but any shortcomings are only amplified because of the fine craftsmanship surrounding it.
So, do yourself a favour and watch Nolan’s The Odyssey in cinemas while you can. I truly believe you would not be getting the full experience otherwise.
…and maybe, if you’re interested, pick up Homer’s The Odyssey for a read afterwards.
