There is an unwritten rule in movie-going lore that I am still in pursuit of: seeing Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen (specifically in 70mm). While I have seen the film, I know experiencing it on the big screen is what makes it arguably the greatest of all film epics. While I have seen some epics in my life on the big screen (the LOTR trilogy, a re-release of Gone with the Wind), it is not often that I get to see a film that truly defines the term “epic”.
Well, after predominantly sweeping the 96th Academy Awards with Oppenheimer, who better to satisfy that epic itch than Christopher Nolan?
There are not many directors who would be this audacious to tackle one of the oldest stories in Western history, but that is exactly what Nolan attempts with his latest film, The Odyssey. Based on the material from the ancient Greek Homer (which, while I never read in High School, I have seen many iterations of from the PBS show Arthur to The Simpsons to the more recent audio musical EPIC), the story is as old as any ever told.
After the Trojan War, Odysseus (Matt Damon) finds the trip home even more perilous, fighting demons both inwardly and outwardly, despite his drive to get to his kingdom of Ithaca, where his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) awaits, along with Telemachus (Tom Holland), the son he never knew.
Looking back at Nolan’s filmography (of which I have seen all but his first film, Following), I tried to identify any instances of miscasting. There was not, and the same applies here in his thirteenth film. The cast is stacked, from Jon Bernthal to Charlize Theron to Robert Pattinson to Zendaya to Lupita Nyong’o.
Side note: For those of you who are being cranky about her being cast as Helen of Troy, remember that her character is defined as one of the most beautiful in the world. It is like y’all have not gazed at Lupita Nyong’o before.
As far as standouts go, I have not seen John Leguizamo this effective in some time, Samantha Morton (as Circe) is borderline terrifying (in a scene that reminded me of the scary parts of Pinocchio I saw as a child), and it was nice to remember that Tom Holland is truly a talented actor, not just Peter Parker. Whether small or big, each role is played sublimely (looking at you, Elliot Page).
One of the key choices that Nolan (who helped write the script) makes is that we don’t see any of the Greek gods portrayed in the flesh (aside from Zendaya as Athena and Theron as Calypso). I admit I was waiting to see if we would get a surprise cameo of someone showing up as Zeus or Poseidon, but that did not happen.
This was a wise choice, as it made the film have a more down-to-earth feeling about it (along with the fact that all the characters share American accents, which was not a negative for me). No wonder the film starts with a line on screen saying “In a time of apparent magic” (thankfully, not a time of CGI, which is basically non-existent in this film).
As a producer (along with his co-producer/wife Emma Thomas), Nolan also makes sure everyone behind the camera has their moment to shine as much as everyone in front of it. Whether it is Ludwig Göransson’s stellar score, the fast-paced editing of Jennifer Lame, the exquisite imagery by Hoyte van Hoytema, the ear-ringing sound design by Willie D. Burton (“that was the loudest film I ever saw” was what my mom said as soon as it ended),…you get the idea.
Nolan (and his wife) have care and respect for their cast and crew, and it does not take much expenditure to see the feeling is mutual (almost like Odysseus and his crew…almost).
Parents, the film is rated R, but I was a little shocked to see how soft an R rating it is. There is no real sex scenes/nudity (unlike Oppenheimer), there is some swearing (at least one F bomb), and the battle scenes, while visceral, are not as violent as they could have been (aside from the Cyclops eating people). I saw at least one kid of middle school age at my screening, and he seemed okay.
Looking back at the history of the Oscars, I looked at what certain directors tackled for their next projects after making a Best Picture winner (along with winning Best Director). Not everyone tries to go bigger (Spielberg went with a Jurassic Park sequel after winning for Schindler’s List), but some do. The only comps I could find for Nolan were Coppola (after the first Godfather films, he made Apocalypse Now), James Cameron (he went from Titanic to making Avatar films), and David Lean (after The Bridge on the River Kwai, he did the aforementioned Lawrence of Arabia). Lean was the only one to succeed his Best Picture winner with another. It is still too early to tell if Nolan will do the same, but he would be in elite company.
Unlike the soldiers, you should bring chin guards: they will protect you from the jaw-dropping moments.
Overall:
Nothing else to say 