Christopher Nolan tackles Greek Mythology in this adaptation of Homer’s epic poem that follows the noble warrior Odysseus (Matt Damon) as he embarks on the long, treacherous voyage back to his island homeland of Ithaca and reunites with his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) at the end of the Trojan War.
A Cinematic Mythmaker Takes On The Myth Itself: Having conquered the film world, the box office and the Academy Awards with Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan had the unenviable task of following up such a monumental cinematic achievement with a project that can meet such lofty expectations. Where to after you reach the summit of your own Mount Everest? Well, Mount Olympus of course! Nolan has not just gone back to the drawing board, but to the very foundations of Western storytelling itself with The Odyssey. Nolan directly adapting the legendary tale of Odysseus is a perfect match for him, as it has much of what makes his filmmaking so compelling narratively: jumping back and forth in time, characters on an impossible journey or mission with a low chance of survival, and intense, grandiose action setpieces. You can also trace a keen fascination with Greek Mythology that is present throughout Nolan’s entire filmography to various degrees - especially Oppenheimer and Inception, which draw heavily from Prometheus and Theseus, respectively. And to no surprise, Nolan fully locking and engaging with the mythology in a pure adaptation yields extraordinary results.
The Odyssey Is a God-like Spectacle: Nolan’s loyal commitment and dedication to the enormity and creativity of analog spectacle is unrivaled and gets taken to the next level in The Odyssey. The film was shot entirely on IMAX film (the first feature film to ever do so) and jaw-droppingly so by DP Hoyte van Hoytema, who follows Nolan’s sacred oath of doing as much as possible in camera and only using digital effects when they are absolutely necessary. Pairing this with the earth-rattling sound design and Ludwig Goransson’s score of an ever-escalating thundering of wardrums, Nolan uses the form and the format to its absolute maximum with a film that is pure immersion. An epic story like The Odyssey requires an epic format and epic storyteller at the helm to match it. Through every setpiece, whether it be the Trojan horse and the siege of Troy, terrifying encounters with Laestrygonians, sirens, sea monsters, Cyclops, and Samantha Morton’s brief but devilishly unforgettable turn as the sorceress Circe. Or even Odysseus and his men quite literally going to hell and back to speak to the dead, Nolan and his creative team give every moment and between moments the awesome might this tale deserves.
Nolan Defies The Gods, Shatters Mythology and Embraces Messy Humanity: Even among the gargantuan ambition and spectacle, its action sequences and its ridiculously deep A-list cast all turn in performances with vigor and immediacy no matter how big or small the role. Truly the most outstanding and most gripping aspect of The Odyssey is how Nolan and co. are remarkably faithful to this legendary text, whilst at the same time flipping it completely on its head and recontextualizing it forever. Nolan makes some compelling additions to the story that give greater dimensions to ancillary characters like the backstory surrounding Sinon (Elliot Page) and Antinous (another wonderfully sniveling display of mustache-twirling villainy from Robert Pattinson), but the boldest and most daring choice he makes is surrounding the gods. Their presence is diminished to a much more passive one, and instead, Nolan actively focuses on the messy humanity of Odysseus and his army, and in doing so, completely shatters the mythic, fabled cunning and heroism he is so often synonymous with. In that way, The Odyssey can certainly be seen as a companion piece to Oppenheimer; both protagonists are tormented and haunted by the pain they have both endured and inflicted in equal measure and are forced to confront the consequences of their actions, though done in the belief it was for the greater good, have irrevocably changed history forever and has made the world a darker, more evil place.
Christopher Nolan has reinvented the wheel with The Odyssey. An epic blockbuster spectacle for the ages that uncovers something new, vital, and timely with a tale that has been told and retold for millennia with the ferocity, scale, and grandeur worthy of the gods themselves.
Watch The Odyssey, in theaters now