‘The Odyssey’ is a Journey of Epic Proportions
Over the course of his career, Christopher Nolan has become synonymous with epic films. Movies that people not only turn out for, but highly anticipate from the moment they are announced. Nolan has continuously pushed what film can be, making a new standard that other directors and studios aspire to. Audiences know that they are in for something special every time Nolan’s name is attached to a film, and these projects become highly sought after by actors of every caliber. There’s a level of prestige that comes with being chosen for a Christopher Nolan film, as these films tend to be both box office successes and award winners across the board. However, when The Odyssey was announced, it came with a particular problem that perhaps none of his other films had: it was the first film to be released after Oppenheimer.
While every other film has been a huge success, there was something about Oppenheimer that just blew up. Was part of that the publicity stunt that came with it releasing alongside Barbie? Perhaps. But even so, the film went on to make almost a billion dollars at the box office and was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, winning 7. So how exactly do you follow up a film that shook the cinema world to its core? By adapting an epic story that has withstood the test of time.
Homer’s The Odyssey is one of those ancient Greek poems that everyone knows the name of, but perhaps they don’t know the story itself. I’ll be honest, I only studied the story in a Greek Mythology class in college, and even then, the intricacies have escaped me over the years. However, if there’s one thing The Odyssey is perfect for, it’s an epic film that can equally capture its beauty and the treacherous journey Odysseus undertakes. With a journey that takes almost a full three hours to unravel, is The Odyssey worth your time in theaters? Truthfully, it depends on how dedicated you are.
[Warning: spoilers from The Odyssey are below!]
The king has returned
For twenty years, Ithaca has waited for its king to return, although not without issue. Without Odysseus (Matt Damon), a power vacuum has developed, with suitors practically knocking down the door for Queen Penelope’s (Anne Hathaway) hand. She’s resistant, and rightfully so, as her duty to her husband and belief that he’s returning home any day now to save her from a broken heart and serve as the rightful leader of Ithaca once again.
However, her son, Telemachus (Tom Holland) skeptical. Part of him wants to believe the father he’s never known is returning, but the logical part of his brain knows that doesn’t seem possible. But how do you convince a grieving wife of that? And so begins Telemachus’s journey to find out what happened to his father, who disappeared after the Trojan War. While no one knows the full story except Odysseus himself, Telemachus ventures to the warriors his father fought with and those he met on the road, hoping to gain insight that might change his mother’s stance.
As the problems in Ithaca heat up, largely thanks to Antinous (Robert Pattinson), Telemachus faces a difficult decision. Stand up for what’s best for Ithaca, or respect his mother’s wishes? And perhaps, most importantly, is Odysseus still alive and can he make it home to his wife and kingdom?
The time commitment and journey of Universal Pictures’ The Odyssey
When Homer’s The Odyssey is referred to as an epic, they weren’t kidding in the slightest. The story within the poem is a meandering journey through a precarious world full of danger and magic. Odysseus is lost, both in his own mind and to the world at large, struggling to find his way home to his family. There’s an incredible amount of ground to cover, which means that to do the story right, you need a significant amount of time to do so. Without a long runtime, you have to cut large parts of the story, which would weaken the story’s integrity and the film’s.
Christopher Nolan understood this and, honestly, might be the only man for the job to successfully pull off The Odyssey film. Universal needed someone with a distinct vision who could look at a story like this one and recognize that the answer isn’t to trim but to push the boundaries of filmmaking. Even at almost three hours, there are pieces of this film that felt incredibly rushed, as the story is pushed. There aren’t many moments to breathe as well, as Nolan walks audiences from one epic scene to another.
However, the length that The Odyssey is might also be one of its biggest weaknesses. Universal and Nolan have dedicated three hours to a film without asking whether they should. 3 hours of sitting in one position in a theater chair without moving isn’t healthy and shouldn’t become the norm (although it seems like so many studios are headed that way). Instead, why not insert an intermission and dedicate four hours to the film rather than a single three-hour block? There’s plenty of story in which you have expanded and given more time to certain characters or arcs, while also ensuring that audiences remain engaged with the film.
Or perhaps even splitting the film into two parts, which was highly successful for franchises back in the 00’s and could have built excitement in a different way. But in all honesty, if my one complaint is that a film was too long, that speaks to the film’s quality. The Odyssey is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece, with performances from some of the industry’s leading actors who are giving career-defining performances. I would be completely shocked if this film doesn’t sweep every award show this coming season, because it is truly a marvel to witness.
Final thoughts on The Odyssey
And so I walked away from The Odyssey with generally positive feelings, but also with a hint of trepidation. There’s no denying the impact this film will have on movie-making, and it will go down in the history books as one of the best, but it isn’t for me. It’s a work of art, and not everyone likes every piece of art. Am I glad I saw The Odyssey? Absolutely, because it is a film that everyone should see at least once. But I also thank the gods I never have to watch it again.
The Odyssey is currently in theaters! Have you seen this film yet? Planning on checking it out? Share your thoughts on social media and tag @bsb.insider to continue the conversation!
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