Johnson Thomas
Film: The Odyssey
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Benny Safdie, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o, Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Zendaya
Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan
Rating: * * * *
Runtime: 173 mins | 2026 |
Christopher Nolan’s most ambitious, eagerly anticipated, most controversial $250 million epic ‘The Odyssey’ shot entirely with Imax cameras is the very first Hollywood film to have a Grand India Premiere a week before it’s theatrical release. And its definitely a feast for the eyes.
The epic poem possibly from the 7th or 8th century BCE credited to Homer (which appears to be a composite for several authors), has been adapted as a whole and in piecemeal fashion for the big and small screens before. The 2004 Brad Pitt starrer ‘Troy’ covered the Trojan horse segment, while the 1977 mini series ‘The Odyssey’ was the most extensive and faithful of all adaptations.
Nolan, who adapted the script, obviously takes liberties, but it’s so cohesively structured that you don’t begrudge him that. The film is about a legendary warrior king of Ithaca, a flawed human being who is not exactly a hero, and the script knowingly bridges various accounts including that of The Iliad, The Aeneid and later versions of The Odyssey. Nolan brilliantly juggles these various elements to form a composite whole that would do every cineaste proud.
Spanning around 40 years with the Trojan war as it’s centre piece Nolan’s magnum opus follows King Odysseus (Matt Damon) after he achieved victory in the decade long war and espouses on his struggle to return to Ithaca whilst being psychologically waylaid by the sorceress Cirse, the Cyclops, the Sirens song, the giant warriors, the army of the dead and many other mythical creatures. Throughout his voyage, he is forced to confront gods, monsters, trials and tribulations that become a test for his enduring humanity. It took him seven long years to navigate through memory loss and many other challenges before he could sail for home. In the meanwhile his Queen Penelope ( Anne Hathaway) was being inundated with suitors coveting the crown and his son Telemachus (Tom Holland) was getting restive yearning for the father he barely remembered.
Nolan’s narrative is episodic and non-linear and takes us back and forth in time, recollecting important events involving mythological creatures in supernatural encounters through elongated flashbacks that form a basis for this particular adaptation. He also uses simple conversation English to deconstruct the epic tome for the layman’s benefit. This language in the context of the ancient Greece setting, may sound absurd to purists. But good or bad, it makes the film much more accessible to a wider all-comers audience for sure.
The use of Big sized Imax cameras facilitates intimacy through the entire experience. Hoyte van Hoytema’s visual compositions are fluid and stunning. The choice of locations suit the telling of this period based story. Ludwig Göransson’s haunting musical score commands the audience attention while sweeping them deeper into the emotional turbulence and philosophical triumphs of this story. The sound design is also extraordinary as it encompasses sounds for creatures that are out of this world. Jennifer Lame’s editing allows the narrative to ramble along without much rancour while Ruth De Jong’s Production Design enriches the entire experience with period specificity.
The three main leads Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland perform with superlative brilliance and are well supported by striking performances from Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Charlize Theron as Calypso, Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy / Clytemnestra, Samantha Morton as Circe, Zendaya as Athena, Elliot Page as Sinon, Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, and Himesh Patel as Eurylochus.
The definitive scripting, superb helming, steady pacing, crisp editing, profound performances, and the amazing finale add up to an extraordinary experience. Nolan’s movie is technically impressive. The gigantic scale, the easy slide into different periods, the imagery - all make it a riveting watch.
The Odyssey is a transformative experience. Nolan’s film sprawls from the grand to the personal and vice versa amazingly well. The story that speaks of a price to be paid for past actions, resonates strongly. The guilt ridden, anti-war, redemptive theme hits a raw nerve given the regressive dynamics of today’s geopolitics.
Nolan’s film transcends cinematic drama to provide a spell-binding experience. The movie’s final salvo is about the futility of war and goes on to suggest that humanity is bound to repeat mistakes and consequently pay the price for it. Despite the daunting 3 hour runtime this is a completely immersive experience. Nolan’s passion project is a mythic gamble that pays rich dividends and is a must see for everyone!
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