The Odyssey – Movie Review
Christopher Nolan’s thirteenth feature film is a truly epic cinematic achievement. And yes, that has been said about his 2008 film The Dark Knight. And 2010s Inception. And Interstellar, and Oppenheimer. Nolan makes blockbuster movies in blockbuster fashion. His evolving use of IMAX camera technology to make films more visually immersive, bringing to life elaborate and impossibly scaled set pieces that highlight the use of practical effects has made him a landmark filmmaker who defines the cinematic experience. But as Nolan has evolved as a technical filmmaker over the decades, he too has evolved as a storyteller.
His interpretation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic (one of the oldest surviving works of fiction) showcases this, because while The Odyssey is a remarkably made film from a technical level, the way Nolan explores the characters and themes behind this timeless story is just as astounding. The journey may be bumpy, but the destination is arrived at with impeccable precision.
It has been seven years, maybe more, since the last word of the King of Ithaca, Odysseus (Matt Damon) has reached his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland). Rumours of Odysseus’ death during the Trojan War circulate, and stories of his victories in the vicious siege of Troy are told between the one-hundred-plus suitors who have emerged in Ithaca in Odysseus’ absence, including the snivelling Antinous (Robert Pattinson), looking to take Penelope’s hand in marriage and take rule of the island. But the rumours of his father’s death don’t stray from the feeling Telemachus has in his heart that his father is alive, and begins a journey to find out more about his father from those who fought the war with him, but made it home.
Meanwhile, deserted on an island in the company of Calypso (Charlize Theron), Odysseus attempts to recollect his memories of the war and his journey home over the last seven years – a true odyssey defined by how his pride and reckoning with the order of the Gods led to the encounters with a cyclops, a witch, sirens, and the Gods’ themselves. Haunted by visions of the goddess Athena (Zendaya), Odysseus’ journey home becomes just as much of an emotional battle, as it is physical.
Developing new technology to do so, Nolan is the first filmmaker to ever shoot a fictional feature film entirely on IMAX cameras – a format that (for film nerds) is a taller aspect ratio and captures a richer picture, often regarded as the purest version of film. It is worth noting that I personally did not see The Odyssey in IMAX, but that did not stir away from the fact that it’s entirely noticeable that this is a phenomenal visual achievement. Filmed across six countries, Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema capture the richness of each remarkable, practical location with such grandeur that it is impossible to not be completely immersed into the visual language of the film. The is a sweeping epicness to the way Nolan and Hoytema move the camera around the locations, whether it’s a battle scene or quieter moment of dialogue, and it’s entirely encapsulating cinema.
Nolan also brings an astounding practicality to the battle scenes. The siege of Troy (wooden horse infiltration included), a terrifying encounter with a cyclops, the evasion of a Zeus’ inflicted giant storm in the ocean are all just a handful of examples of set pieces in The Odyssey that are cinematic marvels in the moment, and then once they’re over, will have you asking, “How did Nolan do that?” The film opens with a text line about the story being set in a time of apparent magic, and that magic is found in the incredible filmmaking tricks Nolan is able to pull off here. Seeing the miniscule Ithacan soldiers battle a towering cyclops that is also obviously played by a man in incredible prosthetics not only provides one of the film’s most riveting sequences, but is a shining example of the movie magic playing out before our eyes.
The sound design of the film, as per Nolan, is boomingly loud. It’s so loud it’s invasive as much as it is immersive. But, it also works in favour of creating another sensory experience to exacerbate the tension of Odysseus’ journey. The way the sound design, specifically that of the way Odysseus plucks at the string of his bow, melds within another phenomenal score from Ludwig Goransson is another technical highlight. The bass and boom of the percussion heavy score, mixed with an electric synth-esque mood, showcases once more that Goransson is one of the most exciting composers working today.
Boasting an ensemble cast of heavy hitting performers, some who have mere cameo-roles and others who provide more substance to the story, the work across the board is solid. The standouts include John Leguizamo as a blind, loyal servant to Odysseus who is being tormented by Penelope’s suitors; Zendaya as Athena, whose lesser amount of screen time still manages to pack an emotional punch in the third act; Robert Pattinson who can add Antinous to his list of snivelling little dog characters who pack more bark than bite; and even Travis Scott’s minimal role as the Bard of the film opens the film with some spark. However, it is Samantha Morton who features in a scene-stealing set piece mid-way through the film that brings forth just a slight taste of what Nolan could do within the horror space. It’s truly an off-putting and vile scene. Tom Holland gives arguably one of his better performances as Telemachus, but he doesn’t necessarily shine above what some of the actors around him are doing with the gravitas of the material.
But it’s the performances of Damon and Hathaway that are the most impactful, filled with emotional intensity that fuels the physically demanding work we see on screen. The way Damon encapsulates the arc of Odysseus – a decorated war hero, tested by the Gods, removed from his family, and now reckoning with the demons that have arisen from his violence – is intensely moving. Damon brings a grit to the gravitas that gives so much validity to his status as a leader, but when the tides begin to turn on him (sometimes literally), the emotional force he delivers is brilliant. As it is with Hathaway who wonderfully and brutally balances the role of Penelope, a woman who is trying to lead an island, battling off snarky suitors, all while longing for the return of her husband. The pure emotional intensity within her pained eyes is truly fantastic acting. The two get to share a scene in the film that is one of the most incredible moments that showcases their performing powers, but also allows Nolan to tie together the threads of the plot, leading to a levitating final 45 minutes of cinema.
It is the 2-plus hour journey that precedes the phenomenal climactic moments where the miniscule, but noticeable flaws of The Odyssey are found. There are a few occasions where certain scenes or set pieces are paced and edited in a frenetic way that almost feels like Nolan is trying to get through the moment in 1.5-speed. Quick cuts between dialogue (almost to the point of unintentionally overlapping), awkward time jumps within the same scenes, and not letting certain moments breathe do take away some of the magic that Nolan has worked so hard to build up. It’s in these moments where The Odyssey most feels like a movie, but not in the way you wish for it. Also, like some other Nolan films, the film does ask you to go with its more convoluted time jumps, which can sometimes feel more head-scratchy than fluid structurally. However, once the film gets to its third act, Nolan manages to tie together all of his narrative threads to perfection.
The other flaw, which is just one that didn’t work for me personally, is the use of American accents for each character. Perhaps it’s just the brain recognising that the more ancient leaning dictation, both in vocabulary and cadence, is traditionally filmed with more traditional, British leaning accents, but there are moments where the American accent (especially when spoken by European actors) sticks out like a sore thumb. In the moments where it isn’t noticeable, it’s because the significance of the scene or the power of the performance outweighs it. But when it is noticeable, it is a slight distraction. However, these issues are miniscule in comparison to the epic scale of technical filmmaking on display.
The Odyssey is an astonishing and epic cinematic experience – one rarely seen executed with such mastery on a scale this gargantuan. The visual imagery and booming sound design is immersive, bringing to life truly incredible set pieces that are as exhilarating as the mythology that fuels them. But at its core is a deeply human story of the desire to defy fate for love, and that is beautifully portrayed through the lead performances of Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway. The Odyssey is just one truly magical movie experience.
The Odyssey is in Australian cinemas July 16
