Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ is the true meaning of an epic

By Danielle Cherry 

Crashing waves on a never-ending horizon. Torrents of soldiers running through a black sand beach. And a startling claustrophobic view of the inside of the Trojan horse. These are the images that Christopher Nolan paints across the screen in his newest project: “The Odyssey”

By all means this story is an epic, faithfully following the tales from Homer’s the Odyssey, and the perils that Odysseus must undergo to get home. Through the trials, Odysseus’ heart is set on making it back home, even if it means losing all of his men in the process. 

The journey of Odysseus is grand, taking viewers through every close call and near miss. With a runtime of three hours, the story could have become dull, but Nolan uses every opportunity to bring action and emotion to this story. 

Nolan’s work is praised for a reason, as the director and writer of numerous Oscar nominated and winning pictures, his work is held in high regard. Nolan truly outdid himself with the scale and beauty of this film— achieving one of this summer’s most anticipated releases. 

Nolan is praised for his incredible casting, and this picture is no exception to his star-studded expectations. With Hollywood favorites like Tom Holland, Zendaya, Matt Damon and Robert Pattinson, all eyes were on the stars to see how they would perform in Nolan’s high stakes film. While Damon takes the lead as Odysseus, there is no performance that stands out as being more extraordinary than the others. 

Anne Hathaway’s Penelope brings out a raw emotion from Damon that his other characters have never had the chance to express. Everyone in this film, even in smaller roles like Lupita Nyong’o, contributes to the unfolding of this epic. 

There is no doubt that Nolan spent huge sums to bring together the cast and practical effects for this movie. It all paid off in the journey that Nolan took viewers on. Nolan could have easily spliced this movie together following the narrative story already laid out, but instead he created his own puzzle, fitting each moment into his own rendition. 

There is no lack of action in this movie, yet there is also space for quiet moments of dialogue and silence. It could have been a nonstop thriller, but viewers have the space in between to feel the emotions Odysseus is facing at every moment, making this story truly leave an impact. 

While rated R, “The Odyssey” is more thrilling than violent or crude. The action within this film is truly spectacular, making me question if “Mission Impossible” should really be heralded as the best action series of all time. Odysseus’ story is far from pretty, yet Nolan takes the time to draw out the beauty in the action sequences, making the choreographed fighting almost look like a dance. 

In the final frames of the movie, Nolan leaves viewers with a question: What is humanity? As Odysseus looks back at all the fighting, he is left feeling lost. In those final moments Nolan turns the camera back to the audience asking: Was it right? Nolan never hesitates to ask the hard questions of his viewers, and that’s what makes his stories stand out in the industry. 

Ludwig Göransson’s score is for sure an Oscar nomination if not an automatic win. The music brings so much to this movie, pounding home the action or lulling us into a sense of false calm. Between the heavy drumline and the peaceful mourning leitmotif for Odysseus, emotion is carried by not only the acting but strongly by the music behind the scene. 

Göransson has done incredible work with his music, and “The Odyssey” is another instance of his expertise in knowing how to convey emotion in an other worldly way. 

I can’t say it enough, but Nolan is a storytelling master. He kept us guessing at every turn what would happen next, and while the book has been out for decades, there were truly moments when I didn’t think Odysseus would make it home. 

Let my words be the drumline of this story saying: go watch this movie. Don’t watch it on your phone, watch it on the biggest screen possible. Because this is a story that you don’t want to miss, it’s a story that speaks beyond what is playing on the screen.

This is a story that teaches lessons and shows emotion and excitement at every corner. Because if Nolan knows how to do one thing, it’s how to write an epic. 

“The Odyssey” is currently playing in theaters, the only place it should be watched…

Danielle Cherry is a junior communication major and writer for Cedars Sports and Assistant Editor and writer for A&E. She is a Missionary Kid from Germany and really wants to have been the camera person inside the Trojan horse. 

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures