Cinema: Traveller’s tales
Matt Damon and Zendaya in The Odyssey
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
The Odyssey seeks to explore big themes, especially how a warrior can prepare to return home to a world changed by war after experiencing treachery, trauma, misplaced loyalty and survivor guilt.
THIS SUMMER’S epic blockbuster does everything right; and yet it’s strangely underwhelming. To attempt a cinematic version of Homer is ambitious enough but Oscar-winning writer-director Sir Christopher Nolan then chose to shoot The Odyssey on unwieldy IMAX cameras and, wherever possible, to eschew green-screen or CGI in favour of practical effects and real locations. His decision delivers a rich and visceral visual experience with stunning clarity and depth that underscores a narrative of physical endeavour, strength and courage pitted against terrifying obstacles including storms at sea, monsters and armies of the dead.
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