Courtney Howard // Film Critic
THE ODYSSEY
Rated R, 2 hours and 52 minutes
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Corey Hawkins, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, Benny Safdie, Bill Irwin
Mere minutes into THE ODYSSEY, it becomes crystal clear how and why Homer’s sprawling ancient Greek poem has survived on the tongues of those who’ve told it for thousands of years. As envisioned through filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s lens, it retains the author’s epic scale and scope whilst translating as an intimate, at times gut-wrenchingly horrific cautionary tale centered on the double-edged sword of one man’s ingenious creation winning a war, yet violating the order of the gods and leading to certain destruction. Thematic ties to OPPENHEIMER and others in Nolan’s oeuvre abound, exploring the cost of war, grief, arduous journeys, and homecoming to a place that no longer exists as it once was. It’s a genuine masterclass in filmmaking that’s awe-inducing, breathtaking and impeccably composed, filled with soul-shattering performances and standout craftsmanship.
Nolan favors a non-linear format, seemingly as a way to connote that these are stories carried from person to person – or in this case, character to character – printing the legend as that infamous phrase says. The way it’s edited – flashing forward and backward on the timeline – might prove challenging for some audiences to read the impactful emotionality. However, it serves to increase the immediacy of the time-tested narrative. The King of Ithaca, Odysseus, (Matt Damon) has been recruited by Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) to be a general in his army that’s sailing off to conquer Troy. Confidante and military leader Eurylochus (Himesh Patel) serves as his right hand, guiding the troupe through dangerous territory. Odysseus’ wife Queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway) is incredibly reluctant to have him leave her on this multi-year quest, yet her husband must do as commanded. Ten years later, after Odysseus’ Trojan Horse ruse finally brings the Greeks victory, the story begins to take its true form and soar.
With the war won, the army heads for home. But Odysseus decides to take a different route than Agamemnon, unwittingly leading his men to be blown off course and into the treacherous unknown. This includes encounters with the sheep-herding, cave-dwelling Cyclops (Bill Irwin), the unrelentingly savage, silver-armored Laestrygonians, the manipulative witch Circe (Samantha Morton), as well as a cliff-dwelling beast and boat-swallowing vortex. The more time Odysseus is absent, the more Penelope worries if he’s alive, vowing to never marry any of her aggressive suitors – including the dastardly Antinous (Robert Pattinson) and his troublemaking pal Polybus (Corey Hawkins) – who’ve taken up residence in the palace. Odysseus’ son and heir to the throne, Telemachus (Tom Holland), ventures out to find out the truth about his father, encouraged by his mentor Eumaeus (John Leguizamo).
If Homer didn’t himself create a story about PTSD, Nolan was sure to thread that needle and create a whole tapestry out of it. Nolan casts Odysseus similarly to many a male hero in his films: as a man reckoning with the consequences of his destructive actions and his human need to exorcise his demons. In this case, Odysseus wrestles with his conscience because his leadership skills, strategic intelligence and persuasiveness have brought him success, but he’s defied the gods and broken Zeus’ law by using a gift for nefarious purposes. His dealings with Calypso (Charlize Theron) and Athena (Zendaya) in the aftermath, as he struggles with guilt and memory loss, serve to highlight this parallel. There’s also an undercurrent of horror running through the picture, from soldiers getting their heads chomped on by Polyphemus and the outcome of paying Circe a home visit to witnessing the brutal carnage of war.
Damon delivers the goods, building depth and dimension into the role of a man haunted by his legacy and law-breaking. He shines in the final act, paired with Holland and Leguizamo, who both give exceptional performances, capably negotiating the ever-shifting tonal bandwidth. Patel is terrific, digging deep into his character’s complexities. Pattinson is excellent as the slippery, arrogant villain, playing him without any mustache-twirling evilness. Morton makes a meal out of her brief screen time, making her duplicitous actions resonant. Still, the unassailable MVP is Hathaway, who carries a wealth of emotions with her in any given scene. While Elliot Page’s influential character Sinon’s presence is felt whether he’s on screen or not, Lupita Nyong’o, who plays both Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, is dealt short shrift, which feels odd to say about an elongated (yet surprisingly fast-paced) film.
Every frame looks like a painting. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema works mythical magic within the facets of warm light and deep recesses of darkness. Naturalistic shading and coloring informs the characters’ psyches. The IMAX imagery augments the atmospheric pull of these historically rich, expansive locations and expounds on the thematic ties. The rocky cliffs of a seaside kingdom, an ocean-misted shoreline at golden dawn’s light, a desolate forest inhabited by war-giants and the foggy, dank black sands of Hades all contain profundity, informing the narrative at every step with the locations becoming characters themselves. Production designer Ruth De Jong’s minimalist approach in a maximalist movie allows for the locales and characters to pop. That said, it’s absolutely diabolical to put a soft-tinkling fountain running through an oft-utilized set in a 3-hour movie (one with no feasible moments for a bathroom break).
Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick’s work speaks volumes, broadening the internality of the women in Odysseus’ orbit. Penelope’s jewel-toned gowns and perfect hairdos underscore her interminable anguish, waiting for her lost love to return. Calypso’s beachy, Eileen Fisher-esque linen wardrobe with fishnet overlays makes for a slinky heroine who caught herself a companion in Odysseus. Circe’s dark apparel is perfectly befitting of her wicked intents. Athena’s humbly beige, goddess-style garments emphasize her sage-like conscience.
In a film where song and psalm mean everything, as per usual, composer Ludwig Göransson brings his A-game. His refined score provides a literal pulse-pounding percussion, increasing tension, suspense and anxiety during the Big Action Set Pieces – in sequences like the Troy surprise attack, the clash with the Laestrygonians and the climactic battle royale. He also provides the perfectly pitched sound of heartrending poignancy in scenes where it’s simply two people talking or Argos instantly bonding with his master. Elements of Travis Scott’s original tune, which plays over the end credits, are woven into the score through tonally evocative instrumentals. In the future, though, I would encourage Göransson and Nolan to stray from that washing-machine spin cycle rhythmic ramp-up that a few pieces here contain. Plus there are times when the cresting music drowns out some of the dialogue.
Much like Homer’s work, only time will tell if THE ODYSSEY will also prove to be Nolan’s magnum opus. It certainly shares in being a masterpiece of the highest order that will undoubtedly improve upon repeat viewings.
Grade: A
THE ODYSSEY will be in theaters and IMAX on July 17 (with sneak previews starting on July 16).
