I went into Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey expecting an engaging and thrilling movie. I came out of it thinking that the main character, Odysseus, deserves both a place in history and a relaxing vacation where he can avoid fighting for his life, just for one day. This guy can’t go anywhere without getting slowed down, attacked, or dragged into a total disaster.
I usually get annoyed when my ride home from Haverford gets ruined by traffic. After watching this movie, I should keep these complaints to myself.
The film’s timing is also perfect because the entire Fourth Form is about to read The Odyssey.
Calling something a “cinematic masterpiece” is cliché, but I honestly think that description fits The Odyssey. It takes a story that is thousands of years old and gets you interested in what is happening on the big screen. Even when the scale is enormous, the basic goal of the story is easy to understand: Odysseus wants to get home to his family. Unfortunately for him, basically everything in the world seems determined to stop him.
The film’s timing is also perfect because the entire Fourth Form is about to read The Odyssey. Normally, hearing that everyone in your grade is about to read a long ancient poem might not be great news. After seeing the movie, though, I am actually excited to start reading it.
The visuals provide one of my favorite parts of the film. This is the kind of movie that deserves your full attention and the biggest screen around (thank you, Regal King of Prussia).
The world feels huge, which makes the journey feel even harder. Home seems very far away, and you understand why getting there matters so much. Watching it on a phone while checking three other apps would have felt like a waste.
[Odysseus] was just trying to get home, and by the end, I wanted him to make it.
I also liked Odysseus as a character. He is smart, tough, and somehow manages to survive situations that would have ended my trip in about five minutes. At the same time, he definitely has an ego. Sometimes you can see that he is about to make a bad decision, and you just want to tell him to stop talking and get back in his boat.
That was one of the things I liked most about him. He is the hero, but he is definitely not perfect. You can root for him and also blame him for putting himself in bad situations. Furthermore, there was always another problem waiting to be encountered by Odysseus and his crew, but it never felt random or unintentional. He was just trying to get home, and by the end, I wanted him to make it.
10 out of 10 for me.