The Filmscape Reverie

By: Maria Cieslarczyk

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

“No one can stand between me and home. Not even the gods.”

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026) is a film that I am definitely seeing a second time in theaters. Yep, I said it…this film is one I would happily see again. It is a definite cinematic masterpiece, from the storytelling to the stunning visuals that brought brave Odysseus and his unbearable trials with the Greek gods to life. 

Based on Homer’s major epic of ancient Greek literature, The Odyssey is the sequel to The Illiad. It follows Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, on a 10-year journey home after the events of the 10-year Trojan War, as he and his men battle monsters and gods to return to the land they once loved. We find the hero we deserve in Matt Damon who plays the brave and determined Odysseus. Anne Hathaway (who plays his loyal and cunning wife, Penelope) also deserves an Oscar for her performance, as well as Tom Holland (who stars as Telemachus, their son). 

On his perilous journey home, Odysseus loses all of his men in their fights one after the other against Cyclops, Circe, giants, sirens, treacherous seas sent by Poseidon, and even a 7-year spell by Calypso. It is the goddess Athena (played by Zendaya) who helps him find his way amid all the danger. Meanwhile, Penelope and Telemachus face their own struggles against cruel suitors vying for Penelope’s hand to become the next king of Ithaca. 

Nolan does an incredible job making you feel whisked away into the ancient world of Homer’s Odyssey. Aside from the stacked cast playing notable mythological characters, there is beautiful visual artistry paired with memorable sound effects and scoring. The music was created from ancient instruments used back then, and no orchestras are used at all to be historically accurate.

My favorite fun fact about this film is that there is absolutely no CGI used. Nolan, in his typical fashion, was determined to use camera tricks and animatronics to create real movie magic for his audience.

One stunning example is the pig scene where Odysseus’ soldiers stop on a deserted island, and meet Circe, a witch, who feeds them cursed food. It transforms them from men to pigs…and all of this is done with clever pig animatronics, smart editing, and specific camera angles to make it seem like Circe is truly morphing the soldiers into animals using her bare hands (Garside, Y! Entertainment).

Another fan favorite scene done without the use of CGI is with Cyclops. Odysseus and his men run into a giant, one-eyed monster (the son of Poseidon, actually) and are trapped in his cave with all of his sheep. To create a true sense of scale, Nolan created a 60-foot contraption of the mythological monster itself! It was a lot of puppetry and editing, and created a real sense of fear and mayhem in the scenes. I loved all of these real visual components of the ancient monsters from mythology, especially being a big Percy Jackson and Greek mythology fan from a young age.

Aside from the visuals, there is also a theme of morality that I find endearing. Odysseus’ trick of the Trojan Horse led to their army’s victory in Troy, but caused devastation and despair for everyone else, even innocent people. Odysseus references this often in the film, of how he had caused such turmoil with his wit, and posed the question if the gods were punishing him and his men because of his actions. How does one define someone who is virtuous? What does it mean to win? It’s an intriguing plot, and makes you reflect deeply on right vs. wrong.

All-together, the film is a 3-hour long cinematic masterpiece filled with brilliant raw performances and stunning visual imagery of battles, far-off islands, non-CGI monsters, and the treacherous sea. All for the sake of one man to go home and make things right. I highly recommend and can’t wait to happily re-watch.