MANILA, Philippines — Celebrated director Christopher Nolan takes on one of the most well-known tales in history, “The Odyssey,” by Homer, tapping fellow Oscar winner Matt Damon as the titular hero of the Trojan War embarking on a long journey home.
Passionate readers of Greek mythology will know Homer’s poem tells of Odysseus’ decade-long adventure from Troy to Ithaca, encountering magic and mayhem in order to reunite with his wife Penelope (another Oscar winner Anne Hathaway).
Nolan, the sole screenwriter for this huge adaptation, also pulls in segments from Virgil’s “Aeneid” and Homer’s other work, “The Iliad,” to include the tail-end of the 10-year war led by brothers Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) and Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and how an impenetrable city was sieged because of Odysseus’ famous Trojan Horse.
Playing an even bigger role in the tale is Odysseus and Penelope’s son Telemachus (Tom Holland) who is adamant his father will return home, despite the beliefs of Penelope’s many suitors led by Antinous (Robert Pattinson).
There have been few attempts to adapt “Odyssey” in full simply because of how massive an undertaking it demands, and yet it stands as the benchmark for many of today’s Western stories.
Nolan appears an ideal filmmaker for the task following scale-driven projects like “Dunkirk” and “Oppenheimer,” the latter finally earning him Oscars glory.
The director uses Homer’s poem to his advantage with his signature non-linear storytelling, flashing forward and back to moments in Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus’ lives seamlessly with the help of trusted editor Jennifer Lame.
Where Nolan and the production takes really huge swings is committing to shoot entirely on IMAX cameras using 70-millimeter film, fashioning new technology to capture the oldest of stories in supreme detail.
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Figuring out that logistical problem allows Nolan to fully immerse viewers in the cinematic experience, especially in an IMAX theater which lets the daring cinematography of Hoyte von Hoytema be viewed in all its glory.
The rest of the production team — costumer designer Ellen Mirojnick, production designer Ruth de Jong, and the whole departments for sound design and visual effects — all chip in to fit in Nolan’s contemporary-cum-traditional vision of “The Odyssey.”
Threats like the Laestrygonians, Charybdis, Scylla, and the mere natural forces of Poseidon all feel real, forcing Odysseus and his men to literally brave the elements.
Come the credits, the decision to have the sprawling cast speak in modern English is a non-issue given its visual medium that will attract audiences.
With that resolve is Nolan opting to frame his adaptation on the tragic portions of Odysseus’ return journey, grappling with the results of damaged hospitality and the determination to spare his men from cursed fates.
Damon carefully treads that line from the moment he exits his wooden horse and witnesses Troy’s sacking — only seen in full at the end — right until he is stripped to his barest back on Ithaca, with the honor of remaining loved ones left to fight for.
Hathaway and Holland, the latter in arguably his most serious role yet, hold the fort when Damon is not in their proximity. Pattinson is remarkably snivellous as a highlighted antagonist, overshining other suitors like Corey Hawkins’ Polybus.
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Oscar winner Charlize Theron as Calypso takes up a chunk of Odysseus’ companionship but does not particularly step up to plate.
Succeeding more in that regard is Bill Irwin as Polyphemus and Samantha Morton as Circe, whose scenes turning shipmates into pigs is incredible as it is revolting.
Of the remaining supporting cast, emotional standouts are John Leguizamo as the blind swineheard Eumaeus, Elliot Page as the tragic soldier Sinon, Zendaya as the mysterious goddess Athena, and yet another Oscar winner, Lupita Nyong’o, as vengeful twin sisters Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra.
The star-studded casting is already a tough field gathered by casting director John Papsidera, who also tapped the likes of Mia Goth, Logan Marshall-Green, Will Yun Lee, Andrew Howard, James Remar, and Travis Scott.
Tying everything into a bow to accompany the sound design is the ornate score of Ludwig Göransson, who places a stamp of certainty with his scoring for the almost three-hour movie a truly epic retelling.
It may have taken a while for Nolan to receive his flowers, but “The Odyssey” is the filmmaker flexing his cinematic prowess with materials he knows best.
Cinephiles and history buffs may continue to argue how Homer’s poem should be adapted for the big screen. What matters in the end — like the gift of the wind god Aeolus to Odysseus — it blows us all away.
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