Cinephilic Musings

The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s epic, shows the director aiming big. It is hard to capture the scale of this film - both in the world of the film itself, and in its marketing campaign and commercial success. While its success is not necessarily surprising, it is remarkable considering the subject matter and the film’s 3 hour length. Pulling together an ensemble cast, Nolan attempts to relay Homer’s ancient Greek epic on the screen. His attempt to do so is largely successful, though not without some faults. Given Nolan’s history, one might expect The Odyssey to play heavily with time. While the film does rely on flashbacks, it is remarkably straightforward. While there are flashbacks to the Trojan horse episode throughout the film, it is largely the story of Odysseus’s return home. The narrative itself is episodic, with many of the work’s most famous episodes occurring within the broader narrative. Similarly episodic are the performances themselves. Some of the most standout performan...