Film Review - The Odyssey (15)

 Promise me you will come back.

The phrase 'go big or go home' seems to apply uniquely to Christopher Nolan. No one would have blamed him, following his awards and box-office juggernaut Oppenheimer, for scaling things down and returning to the more intimate thrillers of his early career like Memento and Insomnia. Instead, he opted to adapt one of the foundational stories of world literature, a tale as sweeping as any epic produced in the Golden Age of Hollywood and populated by gods and monsters besides. The word 'odyssey' has come to describe stories from Gulliver's Travels to The Lord of the Rings, even featuring in the subtitle of Kubrick's 2001 - originating, as it does, in this ancient and momentous quest narrative. And it's to this massive challenge that the British-American filmmaker has applied his energies.

The 'quest' in question, as you probably remember from your schooldays, is deceptively simple - that of Greek warrior Odysseus to find his way home to his island kingdom Ithaca following the Trojan War. But this proves - in Nolan's film as in Homer's millennia-old poem - as arduous and frustrating as the war itself, with similarly devastating loss of life. Matt Damon plays the complicated hero, wrangling one deadly setback after another on behalf of himself and his crew, while wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) who has yet to meet his father, wait and hope for his return. Their situation is complicated by a rabble of young and wealthy suitors, led by Robert Pattinson's sneering Antinous, who have descended on Odysseus' palace to compete for his wife and his wealth. From the film's beginning, the stakes for the estranged family are clear.

The Odyssey is a tale for which Nolan's formidable talent has been honed over twelve other features, to the point where it's equal to the venture's sheer scale. This is a vast movie, the first one shot exclusively - as has been widely noted - with IMAX cameras. The effect is one of complete immersion in each location, be it ocean, icy wasteland, or volcanic isle, as well as soul-searching close-ups of the kind that proved so affecting in Oppenheimer. Another IMAX virtue is how it showcases the project's detail in all its authenticity. The earthiness of each scene is striking, making ancient myth remarkably relatable. Even the most fantastical elements of sea monsters and sirens convince due to the director's much-praised embracing of practical effects. (Green screen is nowhere, CGI used only to enhance what was achieved in camera.) This is an epic you feel as much as hear and see.

As with his previous Oscar-winning adaptation, Nolan digs deep into the source text, finding a clear and compelling narrative thread. Odysseus's story is more than just a sequence of strung-together incidents. It's about one flawed individual's struggle with destiny, a fight that puts him increasingly at odds with his compatriots and more despairing of his life's meaning. It's about the cruelty of war, how the effects of conflict live in a soldier's bones long after the fighting has ended. And it's about family loyalty - the resistance under pressure to compromise those ties of love. The gods make occasional, subtle appearances, but this Odyssey is first and last a human tale. It's told in as non-linear a fashion as Homer's poem, so that the film's opening act may disorient some. Stick with it, though, and the narrative thrust rewards handsomely in a final stretch that ties the story and its themes together.

As for his team, Nolan draws on creatives he has assembled over multiple cinematic adventures to craft what might be his ultimate. Damon, ripped but ruined, anchors proceedings with a physical performance that's heroic in its own right. Other stand-outs are Hathaway, girding Penelope's patience with steely determination and simmering fury, and Pattinson, enjoyably slimy in his villain role. Nolan newcomer John Leguizamo adds emotional weight as Odysseus's loyal mentor Eumaeus, and as for Samantha Morton - her contribution to the film won't be forgotten by anyone who sees it. Ever. Meanwhile, cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema complements the realism of the director's vision with his naturally lit and stark camerawork, while Ludwig Göransson scores the action sequences with strange, heart-pounding intensity. In short, no one here's on their B-game.

The movie has stoked online controversy (stemming exclusively from those who haven't seen it) regarding issues of historical accuracy, casting choices, anachronistic dialogue... The furore is so much hot air. In a project this ambitious, tackling such an ancient and morally complex source text, expect creative choices that raise eyebrows along with various technical nitpicks. Not everything is going to work for every viewer. It's literally astonishing, however, how much does. This doesn't purport to be the definitive adaptation of Homer's famous work, but it's a damn good one. And if you happen upon a more awe-inspiring feat of filmmaking this year, let me know. Because that I want to watch. 

Memorable Moment(s): (1) The logistics of delivering a Trojan horse. (2) Make sure your stew isn't spiked... (3) The most faithful friend of all. (This bit made me cry.)

Ed's Verdict: 9.5/10. Nolan's done it again. His Odyssey calls to mind Lawrence of Arabia's immensity and the ingenuity of special effects legend from Ray Harryhausen to Rick Baker. It's also got thrilling action, a rich emotional core, and one very hungry cyclops. A 2026 biggest-screen must-see.