People are talking about Christopher Nolan’s latest film, “The Odyssey.” It is his vision of a story that’s almost 3,000 years old. It’s something the working and studying population in Metro Manila can relate to — taking 20 years and dealing with all sorts of obstacles before you see home again.
Kidding aside, “The Odyssey” by Homer is an epic Greek poem which is the OG superhero story — it is the journey with quests, it has romance, and it is also a fantasy piece.
Prior to its release, there was already controversy regarding the casting of Lupita Nyong’o, who is Kenyan-Mexican, as Helen of Troy. I don’t know if insisting one knows for certain the skin color of someone who hatched from an egg would be a hill to die on.
People have also gotten upset about Elliot Page playing a Greek warrior. If they’d watch the movie, they might see just why he was chosen to play Sinon, whose story ties in with the villain Antinous (Robert Pattinson).
Matt Damon (Odysseus) gives off American suburban dad vibes, you don’t see anyone getting upset about that.
Harping on those choices should become insignificant when you witness the level of craft that went into making this ambitious film. The entire movie was shot on 70mm film loaded into gargantuan Imax cameras — made even bigger because of the special blimp to control the noise so actors could shoot dialogue. It’s reported they ended up being as big as an SUV.
Christopher Nolan went as analog as possible, using practical effects and age-old filming techniques to tell a tale of adventure, war, pride, courage, devotion, devastation, remorse, longing and discovery. They shot in several countries including Greece, Italy and Iceland. Viewers get a feel of vast seas, expansive seashores and islands filled with mystery.
As cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema said in an interview with The New York Times, “We like to spend a lot of time in real places, on real locations, having stuff in front of the camera that is tangible and tactile.”
I recently wrote about how using a computer-generated dog (which they keep using a bargaining chip) in the “Supergirl” movie detracted from my experience. Here, Nolan uses a real dog to play Argos and this gets substituted with a physical dummy when it gets kicked. It makes such a difference in developing feelings for the beloved pet.
The film is visually impressive, you truly feel an epic is unfolding. To match the cinematographic achievement, Ludwig Göransson’s score which incorporates, among many instruments, various bronze gongs, a lyre, and an aulos, allows us to soak in the atmosphere, mood, and emotion.
Nolan also told him not to use an orchestra. Göransson tells Variety, “It’s not like the orchestra existed back then. It was a challenge and also an opening to try to make something unique.”
The cast is impressive, apart from the actors already mentioned, there’s Anne Hathaway as Odysseus’ wife Penelope, an underutilized Zendaya as Athena, Charlize Theron as Calypso, Tom Holland as Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, and Himesh Patel as Eurylochus.
John Leguizamo truly embraces his role as Eumaeus, a faithful servant to Odysseus — who remains loyal throughout his boss’ twenty-year absence. Samantha Morton as the enchantress Circe figures in one of the movie’s standout scenes. Robert Pattinson succeeds in bringing to life a character that is sneaky, slimy and despicable.
The movie has so many fantastical elements — the Trojan Horse, Polyphemus the cyclops, sirens, undead souls, Charybdis the sea monster, but it also reveals emotional stakes for many characters. For Odysseus, it includes reflecting on his actions, the decisions he’s made, the ensuing consequences. At what cost was the glory he achieved? There’s so much more to discuss due to the scope of this film (Zeus’ law, Nolan and women characters, war), but this would have to take up the whole page of the paper.
Whether you were impressed, or have issues with the casting, or with how this story was told, you can’t deny this was an extraordinary filmmaking and storytelling feat.
