Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey is an entertaining spectacle, but one that concedes creatively on many levels
Reception to the announcement of The Odyssey was good within the pro-Nolan camp and mixed outside of it. You’re bound to be entertained watching one of his movies, though at times he has fallen short. Even so, you can usually guarantee a good time. One thing he probably dislikes is the system by which studios announce and roll out movies, a plastic, tiresome experience, not just for him, but for serious cinephiles.
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The first act inspires just enough intrigue to dangle the carrot, but there is a harsh truth that haunts the entire production from the outset. While the authenticity of the screenplay is exceptional, filled with brilliant costuming and diligent attention to framing, the accents distract from key moments in the film. But all that changes when Nolan introduces the inciting incident to engage the audience’s senses.
Odysseus’ first encounter with the supernatural sees him and his men come face to face with the Cyclops, a herder whose flock leads them to a cave where they’re trapped. There is a myth that Christopher Nolan never uses CGI, but that isn’t entirely true. He has used computer-generated effects on numerous occasions, including The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception. While it isn’t his MO, he uses it to paper over cracks where practical effects cannot suffice, including the one-eyed giant himself.
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But this quickly dissipates when the highly polished, recognisable Hollywood actors enter scenes with thick North American accents, creating a jarring break in the immersion. The film has its peaks and troughs, with notable sequences involving mythic creatures that steal the show, until the dialogue is interrupted by distracting dialect choices. This is particularly noticeable in scenes with Charlize Theron, Tom Holland, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page and, of course, Matt Damon. Another consistency issue also makes itself known: in an ancient Greek world where Americans seemingly live, modern British accents occasionally appear, as when Samantha Morton, who plays the witch Circe, enters the scene.
The 2017 translation by classicist Rmily Wilson, whose interpretation Nolan credits as the inspiration for his adaptation was highly critical of his £250 million production. In a review for the London Review of Books, she said:
“Nolan’s Odyssey lacks many of the elements that make the poem great. It has nothing convincing to say about time, memory, history, war, or about the relationship between one warrior’s glorious return and the lives of his family, adversaries, comrades, friends and neighbours. It lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth. Its narrative structure is gimmicky. The writing is abysmal. None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words. There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible.”
Aside from the pain of watching Homer’s American Odyssey on screen, Nolan’s creative choices are largely on point. Scylla, the Sirens and the cannibalistic Laestrygonians are all modestly and tastefully portrayed. His continued collaboration with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema remains one of his better creative decisions. A talent who seemingly rarely fails, van Hoytema has worked on a tonne of great films, including Interstellar and Her. His abilities even ensured that mediocre films such as Ad Astra were worth watching, if only once.
The Verdict
Overall, The Odyssey is a notable watch; the decision to shoot it in IMAX is commendable, even if only a few people see it in its truest form. While this largely affects the depth of Nolan’s vision, it also showcases the scale of his location choices to their fullest. This is something that genuinely stands out, though one can still appreciate the pageantry of a film that was clearly well planned.
Albeit, the smaller choices really do stack up. Why go to all this trouble to create a realistic world, only to cast American actors and instruct British ones to emulate the former’s dialect? When needed, character development fell short, and the casting choices could have been much stronger. Sometimes, casting heavyweights pays off; it can also have the opposite effect. We can choose the medium of IMAX all we want, if the story is not coherent, riveting, or easy to return to, what’s the point?
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