The Odyssey: A Timeless Epic

Thank you to Homer, I am at a loss of words, for creating one of the most exhilarating epics of all time. I have to say this is the movie that brought me back to Cinema. 

The Odyssey I can say with all my heart is in my top ten films of all time because every single element and frame inside that film was executed perfectly. The movie evoked a wide range of emotions: sadness, relief, vengeance, regret, guilt, compassion, love, and disappointment, because it does not simply tell the tale of a hero returning home; it reveals the cost of becoming one. Matt Damon’s magnetic performance pulls us into the mind of a man whose greatest weapon is not his sword, but his ability to think. Every clever decision blurs the line between wisdom and pride, forcing us to ask: when does intelligence become arrogance? When does confidence become the belief that you can control what was never yours to control?

The soundtrack of The Odyssey, composed by Ludwig Göransson, is nothing short of breathtaking. The orchestration was immersive, drawing you deeper into the world of the film and amplifying the impact of the story’s most pivotal scenes. The song of the Trial of the Bow was the most intense scene for me. My body was etching towards the screen and my brain was tingling with dopamine. When I heard that angelic sound of Odysseus stringing his bow and shooting it through the twelve axes, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of adrenaline to jump off my seat and fight the suitors myself. I love watching a film with a well-choreographed action scene and The Odyssey did it for me. Odysseus was moving like John Wick, and I enjoyed every single second of it. He dispatches each suitor so easily, his actions swift, efficient, and utterly relentless. The intensity radiates from him, making it impossible to look away as he reclaims HIS home with both power, precision, and purpose.

The Heart of Ithaca: Anne Hathaway’s Penelope

From watching The Devil’s Wears Prada, Les Miserables, Interstellar, and Ending the Night, I have to say this was one of my favorite performances from Anne Hathaway. Throughout the film, Hathaway captures Penelope’s internal struggle of longing, frustration, and resilience after years of uncertainty and isolation. Her worrisome expressions and heartbreaking delivery to Telemachus reveal a woman who endures not just for herself, but for her son and her kingdom. Hathaway makes Penelope’s emotions super raw, allowing us to witness the weight of twenty years of grief, sacrifice, and suppressed anger finally break through the surface. Hathaway uncovers what Penelope has spent years burying beneath the surface: her own sense of worth and identity.

The phrase “20 years of knowledge,” spoken by Penelope in the film, carries profound meaning. For twenty years, Penelope has carried the weight of waiting, protecting her home, and navigating uncertainty, yet the suitors around her refuse to recognize the wisdom and knowledge she has gained. They do not see the years of sacrifice or the strength it took to endure; they only see whether a man is standing beside her. She is overshadowed by longstanding traditions that place men in positions of power simply because of gender. Anne Hathaway’s delivery of that line, “my 20 years of knowledge does not even compare to the bristles on your chin” is just charged with frustration and pain. In that moment, her anger is directed both at her son and her absent husband, as she confronts the injustices of a system that values a male’s presence, experience, and mindset over a female's longstanding wisdom. The scene lingers with me because it exposes a question that still resonates today: why should gender determine one’s position or worth in society? My mind instantly goes to the countless women throughout history, and even now, whose potential and ambitions are deferred simply because they were born female. Whether it’s girls forced into marriage as children, young girls and women denied education, or women passed over for leadership roles, so many opportunities are lost before they can even begin. Nobody ever questions why a man holds a leadership role, but when a woman steps into that position, suddenly her qualifications are deemed as unimportant and her presence is questioned. This double standard is deeply rooted in societal and traditional expectations, and the desire to maintain power structures. Often, it seems that these challenges rise from a need to protect male pride and masculinity, as if women’s success somehow threatens this established order.

Nolan adapted this perfectly to show how something nearly 3,000 years old remains timeless, yet it’s sad to see how the struggle for women’s respect and recognition continues in our society today.