There are moments in Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey where we, the viewers, are confronted with the horrors of the real world – the darkest, most repulsive truths that we want to turn away from. And every time we feel we have the lay of the land and can recognise the monster lurking beneath, the narrative peels back another layer, revealing who the true monsters are. To take a story that has been told and retold countless times over three millennia and give it their own touch is an unenviable task. To do so in a manner that probably even elevates some elements of the original is mind-boggling. But the master filmmaker that Christopher Nolan is, he does it. With elan. The Odyssey is just the latest film that will again spark debate about which is Nolan’s best work. It is a sprawling saga blending modern sensibilities with timeless motifs, aided by unprecedented camera work and an impeccable score. On top of that are the performances from a solid cast, some of whom have given their best work ever here.
The Odyssey begins eight years after the end of the Trojan War. The Greeks were victorious, and all the triumphant kings have long returned to their kingdoms with the spoils of war, save for one. Odysseus of Ithaca has not been seen since the war, nor have his men. In Ithaca, his queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway) is fighting hard to keep suitors at bay, dozens of men who have camped in the king’s palace, urging the queen to remarry and give Ithaca a new king. Her son Telemachus (Tom Holland) has not given up hope and vows to find Odysseus before Antonius (Robert Pattinson), the wiliest of these suitors, breaks down his mother’s resolve. Odysseus (Matt Damon) is trying to get home, but is caught up in everything from a confrontation with the realities of life and the wild ways of the sea.
The trailers lied to you. They were a Trojan horse. This is no epic fantasy, no war drama, and certainly no coming-of-age feature. Nolan’s Odyssey is a gothic horror. Everything from the framing to the sound design and the treatment of the characters screams eeriness. And The Odyssey does not shy away from being heavy for the viewer. It gets loud, visceral, gory, and even discomfiting at times, in a rather Mike Flanagan-meets-Ridley Scott sort of territory. But it is never repulsive. And it never loses its aura of spectacle. Nolan’s debut in horror is splendid, a testament to how a good filmmaker can always cross genres when they wish.
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