The Odyssey

My god what a film. Throughout the duration of my college degree, I studied The Odyssey countless times in several different contexts. I know this story front to back, have analyzed and written about it through various different lenses, and have inevitably fallen in love with it. So, not to be pretentious, but I was definitely worried about the bastardization of this story with this adaptation. And if we’re being honest, there were definitely enough inaccuracies and changes to give a meticulous critic a field day. BUT, Christopher Nolan did what any great director of an adaptation does, and made this movie its own separate piece of art. He definitely kept a through-line of similar themes, but also worked to emphasize messages that still were present but not as prevalent in the novel. The Odysseus of this film is not the Odysseus of the novel, but they both are commendable, complex characters whose stories you care about. And, stepping outside the web of serious analysis, this movie was just an absolute joy to experience. Especially the sound mixing. Fucking hell. So intense, so riveting, so beautiful, just insane talent all around.