So like everyone who reads the news I’ve heard the hoopla about Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the Homeric epic The Odyssey, and was actually in the audience at my local theater to watch its Thursday-night debut. The place was packed. A group behind us were wearing togas (that looked like bed sheets “repurposed”). Excitement in the air! The crowd was not disappointed: At the movie’s close there was an ovation, though I always think that’s a bit silly, since the performers aren’t there to hear it.
An easy reaction: It’s like a really well done homage to the 1960s classic Jason and the Argonauts (1963). I’m sure Christopher Nolan fans will find that cheeky. He makes great films if they do require some patience. In this case it’s an epic serving of eye-candy. The scenes are iconic and often awesome, such as when the Cyclops traps them in his cave, or when Odysseus is pining away on the beach with Calypso. As with Jason, there’s also a scene in which dead soldiers rise from the sandy beach. (My favorite scene in Jason and the Argonauts was the skeleton battle.)
It’s good filmmaking, though I still rate Backrooms as more of an iconic hit of the summer, with its scary techno-world reality.