22/17
Odysseus: For some, war becomes home
Narrative
After 20 years, Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca to find his wife captured by suitors vying for the title of king and his son facing death at their hands. To reclaim his family and all that he has lost, Odysseus must rediscover his strength… Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche star in a film together for the third time. They previously worked together on Wuthering Heights (1992) and The English Patient (1996). Penelope: How can people find their way to war but not their way home?
It tells the story of Odysseus’s attempt to return to Ithaca after the Trojan War
works of Western literature, Homer’s Odyssey has been told on film many times in many ways. From the beginning he is beset by obstacles in the form of monsters, witches, sirens, lotus-eaters, cannibals, etc. Previous versions of the story focused on the spectacular and sensational, most notably 1954’s ULYSSES starring Kirk Douglas. (For this film, Odysseus was renamed Ulysses for some unknown reason.) This version differs in that it focuses on the human elements of the story, with Odysseus finally returning to Ithaca after 10 years of hard struggle to find his kingdom in decline and his wife at the mercy of hooligans who are trying to marry her off to gain money and the kingdom, since everyone thinks Odysseus is dead. They threaten to forcibly marry her and Ithaca off if he does not choose one of them as his husband.
However, there is no dialogue in much of the film
After 10 years, Odysseus is unrecognizable and must assess the situation before planning a strategy to get rid of these vile people who are bleeding his land and take his rightful place as king. He dresses up as a tramp until he reveals himself and starts acting. This is not a CGI movie aimed at teenage boys; it is aimed at intelligent adults with mature emotions and rationality. The literary script by the late Edward Bond, John Collee and Uberto Pasolini is a joy to listen to, especially when voiced by leading actors. The actors do a lot of “subtext,” especially the brilliant Juliette Binoche as Penelope.
She gives a good, all-round performance
Ralph Fiennes gives the best performance I have seen to date. Mr. Pasolini also directed the film and does a great job of keeping the film focused and tense. The cinematography is by Marius Panduru, who is greatly aided by the beautiful locations on the island of Corfu. The impressive and understated musical score is by Oscar winner Rachel Portman.
Fiennes at the beginning)
If this sort of thing worries you, be warned that there is a lot of blood and violence in the film, and some nudity (including a rather long and full Monty from Mr. I am very grateful to the producers for having the courage to make a film aimed at intelligent adults, and I hope it gains enough audience support to encourage others to do the same.