An Unserious Conversation About ‘The Odyssey’

If there’s one filmmaker that could do Homer’s Odyssey justice, we reckon the consensus would point to the man who made the genre-defining Dunkirk, and they would be exactly right. Bringing the same gusto to the table, Christopher Nolan turns an ancient epic into a psychological drama that is The Odyssey. His adaptation peers through the internal storm of the Greek hero, Odysseus, tracing the aftermath of the Trojan War. Grappling with guilt, his journey back to Ithaca turns into a decade-long voyage, where he’s forced to face metaphorical and literal demons.

BURO Malaysia’s culture editor, Nikita Nawawi, and fashion writer, Benedict Unang, attended the film’s local premiere and sat down for a very (un)serious conversation. Here are their biggest takeaways.

FIRST IMPRESSION

Nikita Nawawi (NN): So… what do we think about The Odyssey?

Benedict Unang (BU): Wow, I enjoyed it, but that was a long movie. The last time I spent three hours in a cinema was on Avengers: Endgame years ago.

NN: But, strangely, it didn’t feel like it to me. It went by pretty quickly; I guess watching it in an IMAX, as Nolan intended, helped. The experience felt more immersive.

BU:  Yes! I’ve never been to an IMAX with Laser Hall before. I didn’t know they have it at IOI Mall Damansara. That next-generation 4K laser projection really did its thing. I feel like the images were sharper and brighter than usual.

NN: That’s so true. I also love the multi-channel sound system. I think it’s integral in bringing certain scenes to life, like when the muffled, deadly siren song was playing. That, combined with the immaculate score and sound design, captured the eeriness so well.

PLOT

NN: A central theme of The Odyssey, in my opinion, is the hidden cost of victory. Nolan examines the guilt, trauma, and the lasting consequences that come with it, making you question if it all comes at too high a cost. There’s the impossibility of redemption, too.

BU: To be honest, I am not very familiar with the source material, but I think the storyline is quite easy to understand.

NN: I think there’s this expectation that period pieces like this are always attached to some grand, complicated narrative, but it’s essentially a story about a man fighting a senseless war who ends up with crushing guilt.

BU: Wow…. is it that deep? But I see your point there. Although I think along the way, he did show that he was a good leader. He did consider his people in whatever decision he made throughout that journey.

NN: But let’s not forget that he’s the one putting them in that position in the first place. They could’ve gone straight home after the attack on Troy, but no, he decided to pull a Julia Roberts and Eat, Pray, Love around the Aegean Sea. Meanwhile, his wife and son are suffering at home.

BU: But the sea sequences are the best part! Especially the scene where they ran into the sorceress, Circe. My jaw dropped when I saw the ‘transformation’, and knowing how Nolan operates, he might’ve actually turned those actors.

NN: His mind…

BU: What about you? What’s your favourite moment from the film?

NN: This might be a spoiler, so those of you who aren’t familiar with the story, look away! The best part for me was when Odysseus strung his bow, flipped it in his hand, and created this familiar sound that made Penelope stop in her tracks. That gave me goosebumps.

BU: Ooh, same here!

CHARACTERS

BU: I like Odysseus, but I think he sometimes made reckless decisions that came at the expense of his men. Like that one time he shot an arrow at Polyphemus, Poseidon’s cyclops son, when he could’ve simply run to the boat!

NN: He is a complex character. It’s hard for me to root for him for that exact reason, but at the same time, he tried really hard to undo his mistakes. He’s actively defying the prophecy. What do you think of Matt Damon as Odysseus, though? Do we love?

BU: Of course we love! Did you see that body? Grrr.

NN: His body is tea. But I want matcha. Get it? *Aggressive winking*

BU: Anyhoo…. I think he nailed the part. I could tell he was in his element, although I rarely watch his movies. Did you like him?

NN: He was fine in the role. The one that stood out to me was actually Samantha Morton. She really milked what little screen time she had as Circe. She hid vulnerability beneath confidence and control, using deception as a way to protect herself from further pain.

BU: Exactly! I honestly didn’t expect her to help Odysseus, so that was a big surprise for me. But do you know who the best villain here is? Robert Pattinson! I hated his character in the movie, but that just means he’s doing a good job as Antinous. What do you think?

NN: He played a similar, antagonistic character in The King, so I was not surprised that he managed to pull it off. But it did remind me of his range as an actor, especially when comparing Antinous to Charlie, his character in The Drama.

VISUAL EFFECTS

NN: Now, we have to talk about the practical effects here. We all know that Nolan is allergic to using visual effects (VFX) in his movies, let alone artificial intelligence. Martin Scorsese could never.

BU: Oh, I didn’t know that! But it didn’t look like he was using VFX for the most part. The tall cyclops, especially, looked realistic to me. There’s a lot of attention given to small details, like the texture of the monster.

NN: Absolutely. This may seem abysmal to some people, but I was gagging at the sight of the Laestrygonians. I understand that they’re cannibalistic giants, but in that moment, in the cinema, I really thought they were humans—just much bigger than us.

BU: And that’s something worth noting?

NN: Well, yes! The difference in scale just put into perspective how small we truly are. No matter our achievements, even ambitions as grand as Agamemnon’s campaign against Troy can seem insignificant when faced with forces far greater than ourselves.

BU: Gitu! Speaking of scale, did you see the Trojan horse? I’m impressed! It’s huge. I’m surprised it could fit a lot of people inside it. Can you imagine the amount of time taken to build it? That’s wild…

GO WOKE OR GO BROKE

NN: While we’re on the topic of wild things, is it just my messed up algorithm or is there really a faction of the internet trying to cancel this movie for being ‘woke’?

BU: Oh yeah, I saw! Some people were not happy with Nolan’s casting choices, particularly Elliot Page, who plays Sinon, Lupita Nyong’o (Helen of Troy), and Zendaya (Athena). If you asked me, I think they deserved their roles.

NN: Where do you think this is all coming from?

BU: I think it’s the expectation that comes from adapting a well-known material. I understand that people were expecting actors with Greek features, but this is Nolan’s adaptation after all, so I’m pretty sure he has his own reasons.

NN: I think people need to take several seats. Emerald Fennell got Jacob Elordi to play the “dark-skinned” Heathcliff in ‘Wuthering Heights’ just early this year. They came out unscathed. But now, all of a sudden, race-swapping is bad? Please.

BU: Do you think it’s going to affect how the movie performs with the audience?

NN: It’s already performing way better than other Nolan films, from critical reception to box office collection. There’s still a long way to go, but it looks very promising. Nolan has built a huge fanbase that would flock to the theatres no matter what he serves up.

BU: Period.

NN: Directors like him are in a unique position to effect change, and it’s heartening to see that he is doing just that. Of course, these are minor roles, but people are still up in arms over them. Maybe championing diversity is hard, even for someone as revered as Nolan.

BU: I think, at the end of the day, we all have to realise that Hollywood has had a long history of whitewashing. But it is changing. It’s more diverse now than it was years ago (it could be better), and I believe actors should be given roles based on their acting ability.

VERDICT

NN: Now comes the fun part. How would you rate The Odyssey?

BU: I would rate it 7.5 out of 10! I will admit that the first part was a bit slow for me, but then the action picked up, and that’s when I knew I was in for a ride! The costumes, the locations, the music—I enjoyed all of them!

NN: That’s fair. I’d give it an 8. Balancing a huge spectacle with fantastical elements while keeping the story grounded is a difficult task, but Nolan executed it beautifully.