The film was truly an Odyssey, but mostly in the negative sense of the word—namely, it felt endless.
I personally think the decision to focus solely on the final rhapsodies of Homer’s epic is initially justified by the fact that, judging from Ralph Fiennes’ portrayal, Odysseus is clearly suffering from PTSD after the Trojan War. However, this choice would have worked better if the movie had been shorter and not nearly two hours long. Especially when you consider that the recognition scene with Odysseus and his nurse happens about 50 minutes in, the rest feels like unjustified padding.
The film’s attempt at a Euripidean approach—removing the gods and humanizing the characters—is one of the few aspects it fully succeeds at. (I’m surprised I’m the only one using Euripides as a defense for the script’s choices.)
To justify its runtime, the film adds a subplot where Telemachus runs away and the suitors chase him down to eliminate him. This part might have worked if the actor playing Telemachus wasn’t so flat. He fails to carry the weight of the film in the scenes centered on him, unlike his cinematic parents, who manage to shine.
Speaking of the lead couple, Ralph Fiennes is the film’s standout. His performance is exceptional! The scene where he recounts the Trojan Horse and the fall of Troy to the Ithacans hosting him (who have no idea who he is) is his best. Other highlights include his grief for Argos’ death and his mourning for Laertes (played by Nikitas Tsakiroglou, who appears so briefly that he doesn’t have much room to shine). On the other hand, Juliette Binoche is generally decent only in her silent scenes (e.g., weaving or unweaving as Penelope). Her dialogue, particularly in scenes with Telemachus, veers between soap-opera-level melodrama and outright cringe.
At 1 hour and 20 minutes, we finally get to Penelope’s bow contest. The seven-minute scene includes three minutes of Odysseus preparing before starting the suitor massacre, which lasts five minutes. The violence throughout the film feels tame, almost childish. Thankfully, from this point on, Odysseus is drenched in blood, as he should be—after all, he just slaughtered the suitors. At least they avoided making Fiennes look spotless like Robert Powell as Jesus in Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth.
After the massacre, the film briefly turns into something akin to a soap opera. Penelope reacts to the suitors’ deaths with, “Is this the peace I worked for all these years?” before the nurse delivers a killer comeback: “That wasn’t peace, my lady. It was what had to be done.” Then, Penelope argues with Telemachus, who announces his departure, and finally scolds Odysseus for taking so long to return. Adding to the drama, Telemachus informs her that Odysseus had been living with another woman for years, presumably Nausicaa (depending on how recent the information was). However, Penelope’s actions and dialogues feel forced, largely due to Binoche’s poor lines, which are hard to watch.
Just when you think you’re watching a soap opera, the movie redeems itself in the final scene. Penelope washes the blood of the suitors off Odysseus (this, along with their first meeting, is their best moment together) and asks him to tell her everything that happened during his 20-year absence. Their dialogue is excellent, but I won’t spoil it. Watching that scene, I thought, Please let it end here. This is the perfect closing moment. Thankfully, it did.
In conclusion, the film is visually stunning, with excellent cinematography of coastal landscapes in Corfu and the Peloponnese (both standing in for Ithaca). Despite the weak script and unnecessary runtime, the pacing is saved by masterful editing. Otherwise, it’s the definition of Classics Illustrated: visually appealing but ultimately forgettable.