The Odyssey, probably one of the world’s oldest stories, describes the exploits of Odysseus, King of Ithaca as he returns from the Trojan War. Directed by Christopher Nolan, this Hollywood blockbuster is based on the work of the ancient Greek poet Homer, the first to record the oral tales of the legendary conflict that rocked the Aegean some three thousand years ago.
In the film Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, tells the story from the fall of Troy. He describes the story of the Trojan Horse, a ruse devised by Odysseus himself, from the perspective of those inside it. How they are cooped up in a wooden horse with no food or water for days and are thrown around on top of each other.
He describes the relationships between himself and the other two kings involved in the war against Troy; Agamemnon of Mycenae (played by Benny Safdie) and Menelaus of Sparta (played by Jon Berthal). Odysseus is the junior partner in this alliance, with less reason to be involved in the conflict. Menelaus wants his wife, Helen, back whilst Agamemnon views Troy as a trading rival.
Everyone knows the story – a Greek tragedy of epic proportions. It’s the age-old warning to be aware of the wrath of the gods – or in this film “Zeus’ law”. Of the three kings in the story, only Menelaus has an easy time; he returns to Sparta with his marriage more or less intact. Agamemnon is killed by his wife Clytemnestra and replaced by her lover Aegisthus. Although Odysseus does eventually return to Ithaca and is reunited with his wife Penelope (played by Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (played by Tom Holland); the war has ultimately cost him his kingdom. His Royal Court has been taken over by greedy suitors led by Antinous (played by Robert Pattinson). He has to fight to reclaim his realm.
The film largely follows Homer. There’s the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis; Cyclops the one-eyed giant, Circe the sorceress and the sea-nymph Calypso (played by Charlize Theron). The special effects bring the story to life along with the dramatic use of sound. Nolan is able to balance the use of modern cinematic effects without distracting from what is still a multifaceted human story.
The film takes liberties with the sets and costumes but it does attempt to give The Odyssey some historical context. The world it describes is not the classical Greece of Athens and Sparta – the era of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle and the Persian Wars of the Age of Iron. It is based on the earlier Bronze Age Greece of Mycenae; which pre-dates Classical Greece by several hundred years – the world we see depicted on the walls of Knossoss and ancient pottery going back three thousand years. But, of course, this wasn’t Homer’s world either and his audience like most of today’s is not bothered about the length of the swords or whether the helmets were bronze or leather.
Some critics may say that the film deviates from the original poem. However the original poem, is not history. Homer’s poem records a legend that was handed down over several generations and subsequently became distorted over time. The Persians said the war was simply over trade – as no-one goes to war over a woman while some Romans believed that that the Trojan Horse was some kind of siege engine. But at the end of the day it’s an adventure – a moral tale that reflects the philosophy and beliefs of the time. Although a long film, perhaps essential to give the story justice, it is well worth seeing if you are interested in the Classical World or simply like epic movies.
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