“The Odyssey” lives up to its hype. Truly a masterclass in both film-making and story-telling, it establishes Christopher Nolan as a modern auteur. The examination of themes such as the price of war and the cost of abandoning one’s principles is paramount.

Homer’s Odyssey has been around for about 2700 years. So can there be any spoilers in a film version of such an ancient text? I would say if there are spoilers, then they derive from the way Nolan portrays or handles a particular scene. I also don’t feel like it is necessary to narrate the scenes. If you haven’t read Homer, then that is the place to go to get a plot summary. Or you can use AI to get that.

One thought which occurred to me is the parallel between the ancient verbal and written story-telling of Homer versus the story-telling in cinema. One of the reasons that Homer’s work has survived is because it is a compelling text. While movies have been adapting texts for a long time, somehow it seems different to go to such a primeval source as Homer.

This is even more true because of the faithfulness in the script to the Homeric work. First, the re-creation of the sets, costumes, and weaponry are detailed and believable. This is more than a 1963 “Cleopatra” sword-and-sandal epic. The feel is earthy and gritty.

This is particularly true with Nolan’s decision in portraying the Trojan Horse and its shape. The emphasis on what it would have been like to be stuck in the belly of the inanimate beast is strikingly different than I conceived the enterprise to be.

I also liked the attention to the various sea vessels. They also seem of their time. This includes a raft on which Odysseus travels.

Homer’s Odyssey is non-chronological. Here, Odysseus’ (Matt Damon) memories are as told to the nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron) on whose island he has been stranded for years, which differs from the original.

The tagline at the start of the film is “A time of apparent magic.” As Odysseus recalls the terrors which his now-deceased crew-mates faced, there are indeed what we would consider monsters. There is a Cyclops, the witch Circe, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis. No explanation is provided as to how they came to be. It is simply a given. The visual effects are top-notch.

More interesting are the Laestrygonians, a giant race that eats people. Their uniforms appear in the publicity for the film. But I found that to be misleading as it seemed as if those were either Greek or Trojan soldiers.

The scenes where Odysseus and his crew summon the dead is profoundly eerie. Two goats are killed and their blood attracts the spirits. Tiresias (James Remar) is creepy if prophetic. When the shipmates run from the dead back to their ship, it is quite unsettling.

The sack of Troy occurs in the latter half of the film. As Odysseus comments, ten years of rage were unleashed on the Trojans by the Greeks. In their commission of wanton bloodshed, in violation of the rules of war, the Gods are offended.

One of the themes of the film is that Odysseus spends years on Calypso’s island because he has PTSD. He knows that the ethos of their civilization has been tarnished and home is not what it used to be. Not only does the bloodshed at Troy bother him, but also the death of his entire crew.

The scenes with the suitors mirrors the original text. I was captivated by the portrayal of Penelope by Anne Hathaway. She perfectly encapsulates a person who might be a widow but cannot be sure. Odysseus has been gone for 20 years (10 at Troy, 10 on his never-ending detour of a journey). The infamous weaving which she does by day and undoes by night is part of her sorrow. The scene where she and Odysseus show their love before his departure for the war is lovely. Most of all, Hathaway embodies the strength of will of Penelope in the face of pressure to re-marry.

Then there are the acting performances. Superb through and through. Damon shows the pragmatism of his character as well as his ingenuity and his sheer physical strength. The slaying of the suitors is like watching a Viking berserker at work. His acting work with Theron is extremely nuanced.

Theron has a small role, although she appears in multiple scenes, in that she solely talks to our hero. But she is so effortlessly able to portray a conflicted character who would like Odysseus to stay but realizes that he needs to deal with his issues.

I was surprised at how well-done Tom Holland’s performance was. He seems slight compared to the suitors and his father. But he portrays Telemachus as a determined if not experienced warrior. His loyalty to his mother is unquestioned. The movie does a good job in portraying the trip to visit Menelaus (Jon Bernthal). I especially liked Lupita Nyong’o’s brief appearances as Helen of Troy.

Most surprising was the effortless and brilliant representation of the loyal, blind swineherd Eumaeus by John Leguizamo. I didn’t even recognize who it was at first. There was a sense of familiarity but not certainty, so enrapt in his character was Leguizamo.

Samantha Morton has a great turn as the witch Circe. I loved her coyness and ruthlessness. Her truths, such as all men are pigs, seemed hard-earned.

At three hours, the time flew by. Riveting, captivating, superbly adapted, great acting.

Five out of five stars

An adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem the Odyssey. After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Calypso along the way.

Cast: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong’o, with Zendaya and Charlize Theron
Written and Directed by: Christopher Nolan