The Odyssey

Is this going to live up to the hype? Will it be another trophy up on Nolan’s shelf, following a seemingly unwavering track record of success? Can it be that he’s made yet another modern masterpiece? What if it falls short?

These were the thoughts plaguing me as I braved my first viewing of The Odyssey. Mind you, I have been anticipating this movie for over a year, putting it on a higher and higher pedestal as the months and years went by.

Finally — finally! — I was stepping into the dark theater, popcorn bucket in hand, and in three short hours I’d have had the genuine pleasure of having witnessed it with my own two eyes. It wasn’t long enough, if you ask me.

I’ve seen it twice now, once in digital premium large format, then on 70mm film. I find the ‘collect them all-ificiation’ of formats you can watch this movie in to be a very clever marketing stunt that makes me excited for the future of film. Perhaps it’s annoying or irrelevant, but it’s not until you’ve seen the 70mm projection (or any film format projected, for that matter) that you can really see and feel the difference. The light and color offered from the film projection were just spectacular in comparison to the digital cinema package.

If you are able to see it projected on film, you simply must see it that way.

What did I actually think about it?

Honestly, I wasn’t wholly convinced on my first watch. I think I was going into it with the immense weight of expectation, and a clear view of what I thought the story should be from my own readings of Homer’s original text. It all happened so fast, and I found myself marveling more at the feat of logistics and technical aspects of the storytelling, rather than giving in to the story. I tend to go through this a lot with movies I’m really looking forward to, and yet, that all melted away on the second watch.

The second time around I could really see it for what it is and not what I thought I wanted it to be:

The Odyssey is a monumental achievement in filmmaking, and an imaginative and visually stunning retelling of one of humanity’s seminal stories. It’s marvelous to witness on screen, and I believe anyone who is able to go see it should do so on the biggest screen possible. Like Homer’s text before it, this one will go down in history.

This is my advice to you, dear reader: You may hear things about this film online or from your friends that reflect a certain shade onto it — you’re reading this, after all. Read and listen to those you trust, but when you step into the cinema yourself, popcorn bucket in hand, disregard anything that you’ve heard. Let the images and sounds wash over you and carry you out to the sea. Give yourself over to the text of the film. Listen, understand, and question everything.

The Odyssey tells a story we all already know, it’s one we live almost every day — the desire to return home. There are many pitfalls along the way, but through perseverance, ingenuity, and a little defiance of those meaning to prohibit you, are you able to achieve your goal.

It being Nolan’s retelling of the story is particularly special because it is presented to us in his trademark non-linear style, with the biggest contemporary movie stars, on a scale larger than any movie made in the last few decades, and with such an unyielding tendency towards realism and preservation of film art. If you ask me, there is no better combination. It’s supremely inspirational on every front.

I cannot recommend this film enough. It’s increasingly rare for so many complex moving parts on such an incredibly large scale to come together as beautifully as they have here. I’m grateful to be alive to witness it. If you’re thinking of booking your tickets, there’s only one question left. What are you waiting for?