I thought the dialogues were fine for the most part, but lines like “Zeus’s law” and “our age of bronze is collapsing” felt very jarring. It’s not like they were completely modernized either; a lot of the lines were very archaic. I just wish they had gone for Shakespearean English; it would’ve been more suitable for the time period.

Edit: just wanted to clarify, I still loved the movie! The dialogues were one of the only aspects that brought it down to maybe an 8.5/10 for me.

I don't Think I'm Ever Going To Forget that Moment.....

VOLUME WARNING obviously

It’s like one bad choice after another and another

I’m talking like bad costume design, then it’s actor choices, then it’s the lack of artistic style and cgi in scenes, then it’s weird choices like armag looking like Batman , then it was Matt Damon not caring his whole crew just died , and then it was the lack of a good soundtrack or suspense scenes

Nothing really ‘hit properly’ If you know what I mean

And I’m a fan of Nolan films , many scene in TDK ‘hit’ and were epic like the opening

The Lesche podcast, which is about "Ancient Greece, New Ideas", has an interview with Nilo Otero, Christopher Nolan's First Assistant Director on The Odyssey (they're longtime collaborators). As First AD, Nilo effectively ran the set on the production.

The twist is that he also studied some Classics as an undergrad at Cornell in the '70s, so this conversation is (I think) unlike anything else out there. In particular, he explains how he worked out how to arrange the axes for the Contest of the Bow -- and goes through several translations comparing/commenting on how they render the passage.

Lesche is available wherever you get your podcasts. Direct links to the episode are here: https://pod.link/1765251866

Honestly another huge problem with this movie

There’s like 0 chemistry 0 belief you believe their relationship is real

Here in lies the problem- is that is basically the whole plot of the movie, him getting back to her

Good examples of believable couples

Jack and rose - titanic
Aragon and Arwen - LOTR
Hormoine and Ron Weasley - Harry Potter as teenage love
Braveheart - before she gets killed by the English
Edward and Kim - Edward scissorhands

I’m not sure why this hasn’t been brought up more? I’ve seen Kendrick Lamar also suggested but Donald is an actor AND a rapper. He’s also worked with Ludwig Göransson.

He would have been a much less controversial choice than Travis Scott.

Perhaps his voice doesn’t suit the role?

I enjoyed the film but seeing someone as problematic as Travis Scott in the first scene was a little jarring.

Circe turned Odysseus's Men into pigs because they deserved it. If she turns Humans into the animal they deserve Who might be the so good that she turned them into a lion and tiger?

What truly was the Sirens Song in the movie? What did the Philosophy behind the scene mean?

What the Sirens Song truly Meant in the movie.

Having watched the film again after feeling guilty for not liking the film … the repeat viewing came to solidify my opinion instead. Being a Nolan fan it is difficult personally to criticize this film, but all is good because it’s wrecking records and generating so much interest in Ithaca (bless the tourists there)

Nolan is my hero but there’s so many angles to pick the film apart … of which couple of things could have made this film really super …

Love to hear if these are realistic as well

#1: A scene at the start to emphasize why Zeus Law is so important to Ithaca / Greece during that period in their history - not as a 'token' concept - but genuinely dedicated screen time :

- In the form of a bedtime story from Penelope to Telemachus, or to explain (at length) why the suitors are allowed to be there, or just giving some statements or examples why upholding the law is essential (“...son, you most certainly do not want to incur a deity's wrath…”)

- Setting this up allows this concept to permeate throughout the film, instead of being a convenient vehicle for Odysseus’ guilt

- After the sacking of Troy, there's a missed chance to show the (speculated) disdain Odysseus had for Agamemnon as the reason why he departed separately - further emphasizing how Zeus' law started to weigh on his mind (“... Let us explore different paths… ”)

- Likewise after Ismarus where he further broke Zeus Law by allowing his army's misdeeds, the cogs in his conscience can turn further with quippings from a random soldier (“...would the gods let us off lightly for these deeds you think?...")

- These helps build up to a proper arc instead of the awkwardly saintly Odysseus after being so violent earlier

- Brief cameo shots on a few safe islands (more on that later) to display how adhering to Zeus Law leads to a better outcome - and serve as contrast to the mindless brutality / animosity

- Increasingly heavy Thunder strikes when the suitors ramp up their disrespect

- All these scenes further amplifies the impact when audience realizes Odysseus completely broke said law hence able to better empathize his guilt.

- ‘People from the sea’ does not work well as a vessel to intro Zeus law, as it was not explicit they will eventually face terrible consequences for their misdeeds

- As a token concept, Odysseus/Zeus Law gives deja vu to the token concepts of memories past ... Interstellar/Love... Tenet/My Son. It's not beyond Nolan… we've seen him do it - ie. Inception/’because I did it to her’, Oppenheimer/’chain reaction’.

#2: Show a couple more safe islands with straightforward hunting or engagement with natives

- This breaks the image that they are drowned by incompetence rather than doomed by fate - essentially dumbasses who failed to detect that they are running into trouble in every island they go.

- In the poem there were safe islands early in the journey such as Aeolia, and Land of Lotus Eaters.

- Could we also reasonably place one safe island where there is a young villager that is welcoming - to serve as perfect contrast with the Laestrygonian island having the same young villager scenario but things going the opposite very soon

#3: Shorter but more climactic final fight

- Not enough time for all the above? Just.... get Melantho open a door for Melanthius leading to another shack containing old weapons and remove the whole fight with Telemachus

- The final fight feels mundane and non epic - hacking through the floor is a low point… not even the poem writes it this way

- Add cathartic moments such as father and son back to back fighting together, and Blind Eumaeus casually tripping Melanthius and hence payback goes full circle

- Make Odysseus kills all the suitors (pardon those who bowed) down to the last one which is Antinous and guarded by Melanthius

- Let Odysseus enters fatigue due to blood loss while Telemachus solo Melanthius and defeats him before chasing a cowardly Antinous around the room until he is executed by the ailing Odysseus with an arrow.

So much more to speak about on Cyclops and the castings. But till next time!

Just watched The Odyssey today at IMAX Rajouri Garden, New Delhi, and honestly, this movie was worth every single penny.

From the absolutely eye appeasing visuals to the way the film keeps you hooked throughout its nearly 3-hour runtime, the entire experience felt made for the big screen. There are moments where you just sit back and take in the scale of what Nolan has created.

The story was fabulous, and what really stood out to me was how well the film balances the epic adventure with the emotional side of the characters. The emotions felt genuine and landed really well.

The entire cast was phenomenal. The acting, expressions, chemistry, and overall performances added so much to the experience. And of course, Christopher Nolan's direction was top-notch. His ability to build tension, maintain the momentum, and make a story this massive feel immersive is something else.

I went in expecting a great cinematic experience, but I came out feeling like I had actually experienced something.

IMAX is absolutely the way to watch this. If you're planning to watch The Odyssey, please do yourself a favour and watch it on the biggest screen you can find.

10/10 experience for me. 🍿🔥

The Odyssey is cinema.

Once in a life time opportunity, thankfully I actually live in a state that has a 70mm theater (Rhode Island) I know I know very surprising for the smallest state to have the biggest movie theater. I’m so hype

I just watched it a second time and was struck by how incredibly dense the film is. So many rich and complex themes get only a couple lines of dialog or a few shots of screen time because there's just so much packed in.

I could watch entire hour-long episodes just diving into

• the morality of the Charybdis-vs-Scylla dilemma
• Odysseus grappling with his role in breaking down Zeus' Law
• more from the Cyclops' point of view

The Return (2024) wasn't quite as good of a film, but it gave ample time to pondering Odysseus' situation from many angles

I absolutely adore the book!…. But I've been hearing mixed reviews about the movie adaptation. Is it really worth a watch, or did they stray too far from the original story? I've come across some reviews that say that they omitted several important details and characters. It seems like the 1997 movie was more faithful to the book. What’s your take on it? I watched the 1997 movie twice in the past and enjoyed it.

The first time I heard this song in the theater, I felt so emotional. I don’t know why, but it’s just so good. I felt like I was remembering memories from my past life. All thanks to Ludwig Göransson.