By Tracy Cabrera
TALKING about Christopher Nolan’s latest film, ‘The Odyssey’, it’s said that his vision of the epic story—that is almost 3,000 years old—is something that relates to what’s happening—taking long years and dealing with all sorts of obstacles before one sees home again.
Homer’s Odysseia ( Ὀδύσσεια) is an epic Greek poem which is the ‘original gangster’ superhero story— the journey with quests, romance and mythical fantasy.
Prior to the film’s release, there was already controversy with Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o cast as Helen of Troy. Her skin color was doubtful in the minds of some as ‘the beauty that launched a thousand ship’ and triggered a war that caused a vengeful war that ended with the destruction of the eternal city of Ilios, or Troy.
Some people were upset about Elliot Page playing a Greek warrior, but if they had watched the movie, they might see just why he was chosen to play Sinon, whose story ties in with the villain Antinous (Robert Pattinson).
Matt Damon, though, playing the role of the hero-villain Odysseus, didn’t see anyone getting upset about that.
Still, harping on those role choices should become insignificant when one witnesses the level of craft that went into making this ambitious film.
The entire movie was shot on 70mm film loaded into gargantuan Imax cameras — made even bigger because of the special blimp to control the noise so actors could shoot dialogue. It’s reported they ended up being as big as an SUV (sports utility vehicle).
And Christopher Nolan went as analog as possible, using practical effects and age-old filming techniques to tell a tale of adventure, war, pride, courage, devotion, devastation, remorse, longing and discovery. They shot in several countries including Greece, Italy and Iceland. Viewers get a feel of vast seas, expansive seashores and islands filled with mystery.
As cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema shared in an interview with The New York Times, “We like to spend a lot of time in real places, on real locations, having stuff in front of the camera that is tangible and tactile.”
In truth, Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ is visually impressive as moviegoers will truly feel the epic unfolding on the silverscreen. To match the cinematographic achievement, Ludwig Göransson’s score which incorporates, among many instruments, various bronze gongs, a lyre, and an aulos, allows the audience to soak in the atmosphere, mood and emotion that was common in the time period of the epic.
Nolan also told Göransson not to use an orchestra, as he tells Variety magazine, “It’s not like the orchestra existed back then. It was a challenge and also an opening to try to make something unique.”
And the film’s cast is impressive. Apart from the actors already mentioned, there’s Anne Hathaway as Odysseus’ wife Penelope, an underutilized Zendaya as Athena, Charlize Theron as Calypso, Tom Holland as Odysseus’ son Telemachus, Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, and Himesh Patel as Eurylochus.
Aside from them, John Leguizamo truly embraces his role as Odysseus’ faithful servant Eumaeus,—who remains loyal throughout the twenty-year absence of epic’s main character. Samantha Morton as the enchantress Circe figures in one of the movie’s standout scenes while Robert Pattinson succeeds in bringing to life a character that is sneaky, slimy and despicable.
The film also has so many fantastical elements—the Trojan Horse, the cyclops Polyphemus, dangerously beautiful sirens, undead souls, the sea god’s offspring Charybdis.
With all these in view, it can’t be denied that Nolan’s film production is trulu extraordinary filmmaking and an astonishing storytelling feat.
In the meantime, businessman and former senior advisor to United States president Donald Trump Elon Musk is now saying that his AI (artificial intelligence) platform will create a ‘historically accurate’ full-length ‘Odyssey’ movie, which he is willing to bankroll up to US$100 million.
This pronouncement follows months of Musk criticizing Christopher Nolan’s casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy.
ia/xf
