I don’t have an overarching thesis on film, just a collection of thoughts and reactions.
Spoilers for The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan
On the presentation: I watched both the 35mm film and digital versions at my favourite cinema in Hong Kong, and the 35mm film version had a noticeably darker image. I have watched many movies before digital projection became the standard so I am familiar with what is possible with film projection.
Daytime shots were bearable but it was a struggle to make out details within nighttime, fire-lit scenes. The blue text of the credits were basically illegible against the black background.
I believe either the cinema’s projector bulbs need to be replaced or they are running them at a lower power. It is disappointing for cinephiles who specifically seek out the 35mm film version to be treated to a subpar experience.
The first act feels very rushed. Exposition flies by at breakneck speed in the first 10 minutes. There is no opportunity for the audience to feel anything until late in the first act, during Penelope’s flashback to Odysseus telling her to remarry if he does not return.
Nolan has addressed the reason for this pacing: the film had to fit within IMAX’s three hour limit for film prints. One wonders if it was really worth compromising the film’s pacing for the improved image quality of IMAX. An extra 10-15 minutes in the film’s runtime would have made a world of difference.
Why does Odysseus, after winning the war against Troy, not follow Agamemnon and the known provisions route back home?
At the time, Odysseus explains that he has followed Agamemnon long enough and by breaking away they may find a quicker way back to Ithaca. Later we learn the true reason is that he felt guilty for breaking Zeus’ law with the Trojan horse (“the trick”) and didn’t want to return home to see the ruins of their civilization.
Throughout the film we also see how much Odysseus cares for his men. Before the Trojan war he is shown to be a kind king, and on the voyage back to Ithaca he tries to save as many of his crew as he can on multiple occasions.
His men have fought for 10 years and are desperate to go home. Would a responsible commander really risk their safe homecoming by sailing into the unknown, because of his guilty feelings? Even if we were to accept that Odysseus sincerely believed his justifications at the time, any reasonable person would recognize that, after being at war for 10 years, the journey home is not the right time to jeopardize the safety of the men under his command.
Penelope has two main scenes with her son Telemachus: one before he decides to sail to Sparta to find news of Odysseus, the other after he returns to Ithaca with a plan to defeat Penelope’s suitors. Both conversations inexplicably end with Telemachus accusing Penelope of wanting to stay in power and Penelope calling Telemachus a child.
Are they not on the same side? Their goals may not be exactly aligned, Penelope wants Odysseus’ return and Telemachus wants to be king, but they are united against the suitors. It makes very little sense for their conversations to suddenly turn into arguments.
I find the Sirens to be the best piece of adaptation/reinterpretation of the original story in the film.
Instead of tempting him with the beauty of their song or with the promise of knowledge, here the Sirens promise Odysseus with relief from his deepest regrets. This ties the Sirens’ song directly to the film’s central themes.
Where the text of the scene reinforces the theme of regret, the soundtrack of the scene addresses Odysseus’ longing to return home.
During Penelope’s flashback to her conversation with Odysseus, the background music features the sound of an aulos. This establishes the reed instrument as the musical symbol for Odysseus’ home.
When Odysseus and his men sail past the Sirens, instead of their song we hear a lone aulos melody. The same melody is repeated only once, when Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, speaks to Penelope for the first time after returning to Ithaca.
While I enjoyed the film and admire it as a piece of masterful filmmaking, I can’t help but feel it is a restatement of topics and themes from Nolan’s previous films. I think it is clear Nolan has established himself as an artist and I would be interested to see him explore something new and unfamiliar.