As a big fan of Greek mythology, I finally caught the movie on the big screen. Tickets were hard to grab, and finally we had an indulgent time watching it last week.
Beware, spoilers follow.
When the ending credits rolled, my first thought on The Odyssey was this: it’s a Westernised, modern retelling of Greek mythology. Wait, is it even a retelling of the Greek myth with so much changes made?
And really? “Papa’s boy” in this movie? Did we even need that?
The online critics who were heavily invested in Homer’s Odyssey were right. The movie was not true to the source, especially Homer’s version that the movie was said to be based on, however many versions there are if we want to go down that rabbit hole. And I agree, based on my somewhat questionable knowledge and my love for the myths.
There was nothing heroic or cunning, nothing wise or courageous about this Odysseus. He was only described as that, not shown. He came across more like a wandering man, broken and lost, surviving only on the gods’ grace. His hubris, especially the way he taunted Polyphemus in the myths, never made it to screen. His scene with Polyphemus in the movie felt more like a childish act of a boy.
Most importantly, Odysseus is a man who is trying to get home desperately, and not somebody who is afraid to face his loved ones at the end of the long, arduous journey.
I am also sorely disappointed by Circe’s portrayal. Instead of the all-powerful, seductive witch-goddess with mortal fates spinning in her palms, we got a Circe who seemed, once again, broken by men and the order of the world around her.
Sinon isn’t even in the original works. And there I was, still waiting for the great hero Achilles to appear.
Then came Penelope’s storyline. A devoted woman upset at the world for not recognising her right to rule, despite having capably managed the state’s affairs for years. Then again, I also saw a woman who lashed out at her own child, a woman who seemed to hold on to nothing but love for her husband, turning broken fast (quite the fitting word for the characters in this movie).
For those hoping for a faithful adaptation, this movie was not it.
But on the bright side, Christopher Nolan brought this great old story back into people’s minds again. It reminded me to pick up the tales I loved so much.
Now, if we are to look at this as a fanfiction of Homer’s Odyssey turned into a movie, it’s a brilliant film for the masses. Or as my sister put it, grandiose.
And grandiose is the word. Nolan shot this with a strong visual impact and an impressive scale that made every frame feel massive. The temples, the unforgiving ocean, the castles of old, all of it swept across the screen with a sense of scope that swallowed us whole. Watching it unfold on the big screen felt surreal and beautiful, exactly the kind of oh this is a Christopher Nolan’s film.
Matt Damon’s portrayal as a war veteran wrecked with guilt, lost and wandering, was wonderful and rendered the viewers sympathetic. The fight sequences, especially the castle hall massacre where Odysseus takes down half the suitors, were done beautifully.
The movie carried powerful messages. It reminded us that we cannot control the destinies of other people. However much we try to help, it’s up to them to navigate their own fates. And when it comes to going up against the gods or fates, sometimes all we can do is our best and let the tide take us, without destroying ourselves in the wrenching for control.
Nolan also chose to focus more on the emotive weight of surviving a war: guilt, remorse, and the search for peace. Through this rendition, Odysseus was seen as a vulnerable man haunted by regrets over Troy’s fall and the blood spilled to get there and to get home. Especially since it was Odysseus who came up with the idea of the Trojan’s horse that felled a city and for being the only one from his crew to survive.
Perhaps Nolan wanted to convey a different message for our age, one not of bronze, but of disruption and instability.
While I find that it’s a disappointing adaptation of Homer’s epic, it still makes for a decent film. Just don’t focus too much on the the story, watch for the fights and the fantasy, and imagine it as a Hollywood movie with the characters donned in Grecian clothes.
As my dear friend from Greece, George puts it – on the bright side, Greek mythologies are making its waves across the world with this movie. It’s indeed wonderful to see the tales and literature of old blooming again. Perhaps this is all that matters.
I just wish we could see Odysseus’s cunning, how he navigated the long journey home with his wits, and more of the gods too.
And Achilles, please.
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