The Odyssey (Review)

[DWPress]

Finally went to the theater and saw it. If I had gone alone I probably would have walked out, my 15 year old son who loves The Iliad and The Odyssey stories felt the same way. Way too loud, too many breaks in the story with not enough room to digest one of Nolan's interpretation before he went and added another element to the story. I've got enough friends with PTSD and forcing that in for a modern telling just feels wrong.

Just my opinion. Didn't even notice if it had a soundtrack....

 

[Timcognito]

Finally went to the theater and saw it. If I had gone alone I probably would have walked out, my 15 year old son who loves The Iliad and The Odyssey stories felt the same way. Way too loud, too many breaks in the story with not enough room to digest one of Nolan's interpretation before he went and added another element to the story. I've got enough friends with PTSD and forcing that in for a modern telling just feels wrong.

Just my opinion. Didn't even notice if it had a soundtrack....

Honest review, thanks. Was hoping this is not the case.

 

[pderousse]

It was outlandishly loud. Serriously, bring noise canceling-headphones. The flash backs mimic the narrative structure of the Odyssey itself, so appropriate, but I'd agree difficult to follow unless the story is top of mind. For your consideration:

AiV was outstanding for its faithful and perceptive scholarship. I have not read the other, but Nolan had good advisors.

 

[Keith_W]

It was outlandishly loud.

Isn't that the theatre's fault and not Nolan's?

 

[pderousse]

It's Zeus' will.

 

[IPunchCholla]

Yet somehow enormous numbers of people seem to find the experience worthwhile (as I’m sure we will see from the box office performance).

Again, I know people’s sensitivity is vary on this.

In fact, one of my big surprises was when I got heavily involved in design, designing my own home theatre, in which I hung out on the AVSforum for many years.

I had always assumed that most people there building home theatres were doing so because they loved the cinema going experience, love seeing movies in the cinema like me, and we’re trying to replicate some of the experience at home.

But in any number of polls on the subject, I was surprised to see how many people we’re not motivated by the love of cinema going, but motivated by the hate of cinema going!
They were in the “ my fellow man ruins cinema going for me, so I want to build my own big screen at home where I don’t have to mingle with them and have the experience ruined.”

We were all going to movies at the same time, but they were having apparently fun fundamentally different experiences.

But as I say clearly countless people around the world seem to get enjoyment out of getting out to the movie theatres. It’s certainly not like it used to be now that everybody can watch stuff at home in great quality as well. But still a lot of people going especially for big events like The Odyssey.

I would absolutely love to see it in the theatre (though I’m not able to).

Just as an FYI. Misaphonia isn’t really about sensitivities. There are people (I am one of them) who may be the most mellow folk, but certain sounds (usually chewing, lip smacking, talking with food in mouth, but also crinkling wrappers and such) induces literal rage. I’m 54 and had it all my life, but it wasn’t until 10 years ago I found out it was a thing. My dad used to make this lip noise air sucky in thing, and I wanted to kill him. It’s one of many memories of the sort from when I was six or so. People who have this know there is something wrong with them, but how do you explain that someone smacking their lips makes you want to punch them as hard as you can? And that this is an automatic reaction? You don’t know how to avoid it?

All my life I have liked movies, but theaters were something to be endured. Explosion fests are ok, but any serious movie? I spent half the time trying to suppress my rage. In my case it has gotten better with age and with getting my anxiety and depression under control.

 

[Somafunk]

Just as an FYI. Misaphonia isn’t really about sensitivities. There are people (I am one of them) who may be the most mellow folk, but certain sounds (usually chewing, lip smacking, talking with food in mouth, but also crinkling wrappers and such) induces literal rage. I’m 54 and had it all my life, but it wasn’t until 10 years ago I found out it was a thing. My dad used to make this lip noise air sucky in thing, and I wanted to kill him. It’s one of many memories of the sort from when I was six or so. People who have this know there is something wrong with them, but how do you explain that someone smacking their lips makes you want to punch them as hard as you can? And that this is an automatic reaction? You don’t know how to avoid it?

All my life I have liked movies, but theaters were something to be endured. Explosion fests are ok, but any serious movie? I spent half the time trying to suppress my rage. In my case it has gotten better with age and with getting my anxiety and depression under control.

Buy noise attenuation earbuds that are sold for concert/gigs, a £20 set usually comes with 15dB, 20dB and 25dB filters

 

[IPunchCholla]

Buy noise attenuation earbuds that are sold for concert/gigs, a £20 set usually comes with 15dB, 20dB and 25dB filters

Unless they specifically block chewing, snuffling, feet shuffling without interfering with the movie, that won't work. It's a psychological reaction to certain sounds. A lot of people have it (or self diagnose as such as it isn't recognized in the DSM). Movies are a particularly triggering situation. Restaurants are ok (for me) since the ambience masks the sound of chewing. Movies often don't. In the post I commented on, I just wanted to bring it up as it seems to have harmed a friendship based around movies and it might be useful info for a person to have, especially as the OP talked about their hyperacusis,. For me at least, its nice when my crazy has a name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misophonia

 

[Axo1989]

She is indeed a great actress, I agree. But that is not the point. Why not hire a Greek actress?

I have read numerous times about DEI requirements, but too lazy now, so I asked AI for evidence:

Evidence of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, benchmarks, or requirements in the film and television industry can be grouped into industry-wide award rules, studio-specific production guidelines, and streamer-backed funding frameworks.

1. Industry-Wide Mandates: The Academy Awards (Oscars)​

The most direct requirement across major film studios comes from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Starting with the 96th Academy Awards (2024), any movie competing for the Best Picture award must meet at least two out of four formal inclusion standards under the Academy’s RAISE (Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry) framework:

• Standard A (On-Screen Representation): Requires a lead actor or significant supporting actor from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group, at least 30% of secondary roles from underrepresented groups (women, LGBTQ+, racial minorities, or people with disabilities), or a main storyline centered on an underrepresented group.
• Standard B (Creative Leadership & Crew): Requires at least two department head positions (e.g., Director, Cinematographer, Writer, Editor) or at least 30% of the overall crew to come from underrepresented groups.
• Standard C (Industry Access): Requires paid apprenticeships, internships, and skill training programs for underrepresented groups provided by the studio/distributor.
• Standard D (Audience Development): Requires multiple senior marketing, publicity, or distribution executives from underrepresented groups.

Because studios heavily optimize their top-tier film slate for Oscar eligibility, these criteria function as operational benchmarks for major theatrical releases.

2. Amazon MGM Studios: Inclusion Policy & Playbook​

In June 2021, Amazon Studios (now Amazon MGM Studios) released an explicit Inclusion Policy and Inclusion Playbook for all original productions:

• Creative Leadership Targets: Set explicit targets for above-the-line creative roles (Directors, Writers, Producers), requiring minimum percentage thresholds for women and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups on productions.
• Authentic Casting Guidelines: Encourages casting actors whose identity (gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability) matches the character they play.
• On-Screen Character Inclusion: Requires projects to aim for diverse speaking roles across distinct demographic categories, ensuring balanced gender representation among underrepresented characters.
• Vendor Bidding Mandates: Requires production teams to seek at least three vendor/supplier bids for third-party services, with at least one coming from a woman-owned business and one from a minority-owned business.

3. Netflix: Creative Equity Fund & Inclusion Audits​

Netflix approaches DEI through a combination of production funding frameworks, internal benchmarks, and third-party auditing:

• Inclusion Audits: In partnership with the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Netflix publishes recurring, comprehensive audits analyzing gender, racial, and ethnic diversity across its global film and series slates (both in front of and behind the camera).
• Netflix Fund for Creative Equity: A $100 million commitment established to fund hiring pipelines, training programs, and direct opportunities for underrepresented creators globally.
• Production Guidelines: Netflix incorporates identity matching in casting and sets expectations for diverse representation in writers' rooms and production crews across its original programming.

4. Other Major Studios & Networks​

• Paramount / CBS: Established a policy requiring TV writers' rooms to be composed of at least 50% diverse writers across its broadcast and streaming slates.
• The Walt Disney Company: Maintains content advisory committees and diversity trackers across its creative hubs (Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, 20th Century Studios) to monitor demographic representation on screen and in creative departments.
• British Film Institute (BFI) & BAFTA: For UK co-productions or UK distribution, meeting the BFI Diversity Standards is mandatory to qualify for public film funding and major British award categories.

Summary Table: Key Inclusion Requirements​

Organization / Studio	Standard Type	Key Mechanism / Benchmark
Academy Awards	Award Eligibility	Must meet 2 of 4 RAISE standards (crew, cast, internships, or marketing) for Best Picture consideration.
Amazon MGM Studios	Production Policy	Strict inclusion playbook for above-the-line hiring, character representation, and minority vendor bidding.
Netflix	Audits & Funding	$100M Creative Equity Fund + USC Annenberg diversity benchmarking across all original slates.
Paramount / CBS	Writing Mandate	Target of 50% diverse representation in scripted television writers' rooms.
BFI / BAFTA (UK)	Funding & Eligibility	Mandatory compliance with 4 BFI Diversity Standards for UK funding and awards eligibility.

Pfft. Plenty of triggers there for the dyspeptic but perhaps your overall comprehension is lacking? Point out the elements that—in correct context—actually mandate that 'actors are cast specifically for their skin color or minority status' per your claim. I'll even un-ignore you while I wait ... for a while anyway.

Edit: otoh if your pro-Hellenic (the Republic, rather than the period) campaign leads to a version of The Odyssey directed by Yorgos Lanthimos I'll not complain. Although when it comes to him creating stories from old texts we may have to settle for A Journal of the Plague Year if that comes to pass.

 

[DWPress]

After being so disappointed and a little shell shocked going to the theater my son and I spent the last 2 nights watching the 1997 television version (free on Prime) and even though the effects are a bit dated and it's filmed in 4x5 aspect ratio we really enjoyed it. It took the time and effort to be faithful to most versions of the stories and Isabella Rossellini is a lovely Athena and the rest of the cast is full of some notable actors as well.

 

[Mr. Widget]

It was outlandishly loud.

I just saw it at an IMAX theater... the film isn't "Twister" bad, but it isn't high art either.
But it was stupid loud... well over 100dB for most of the movie and hitting sustained peaks of 112dBC. After the initial onslaught, I had to measure it. My phone app is accurate to within ±0.1dB using the "C" scale as compared to a calibrated meter.

 

[Keith_W]

Emily Wilson, who wrote the "woke" translation of The Odyssey that Nolan supposedly used, has lambasted the film. See her article here. "I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script".

 

[Timcognito]

Emily Wilson, who wrote the "woke" translation of The Odyssey that Nolan supposedly used, has lambasted the film. See her article here. "I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script".

Hate to say it, but after reading Wilson's critique and reports of insane volume levels at theaters, I'm on the fence about going and may wait until it hits the streaming service.

 

[Mr. Widget]

Hate to say it, but after reading Wilson's critique and reports of insane volume levels at theaters, I'm on the fence about going and may wait until it hits the streaming service.

I usually enjoy big loud bombastic movies... sonically, this one was simply painful. The movie is not terrible, but it falls far short of great.

 

[Mart68]

Hate to say it, but after reading Wilson's critique and reports of insane volume levels at theaters, I'm on the fence about going and may wait until it hits the streaming service.

Her review is almost certainly longer and more boring than the film could possibly be. Quit half-way through. Probably a good job she didn't write the script.

 

[Timcognito]

Her review is almost certainly longer and more boring than the film could possibly be. Quit half-way through. Probably a good job she didn't write the script.

Felt the same way but it was not three hours long.

 

[pderousse]

Emily Wilson, who wrote the "woke" translation of The Odyssey that Nolan supposedly used, has lambasted the film. See her article here. "I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script".

I read her review which is negative start to finish, but makes no arguments as to why she would be ashamed for something she was not invited to contribute to. It is noisy, and best I can tell, she does not like the lack of agency and voice of Nolan’s female characters. That is a valid critique. It is also armchair quarterbacking the choices that any translator must make to render art into another medium. She of all people should appreciate that deilimma. Consider the word “polutropon” in the first sentence of Homer’s Odyssey. It literally means “much-turning” as in scheming, tricky, much-turning, cunning, conniving; however, these adjectives all already appear in recent published English translations, and avoiding copyright issues and needing to make the case for the need of a new translation, caused her to reach instead for “complicated” in her translation - different from the others, but “polutropon” really does not mean that. In her Iliad, her rendering of “oulomenon” as
“cataclysmic” in the first sentence is even more off. She just would have done it differently. Great. I’m genuinely happy her book is having a moment (Latin and Greek enrollments are seeing a bump!), but she is not the last word in Classical scholarship. There are many many great English translations of the Odyssey -AND their authors struggle with the same problems.

However, I’d argue that Nolan’s ‘translation’ is far more “complicated” for involving many more tough choices for being film and with many self-imposed constraints (imax, etc).

Oddly, this very negative review ends with a list of reasons for why Nolan’s publication of “the Odyssey is something to celebrate.” !!! Take it all as Roman Vergil (another translator of the Odyssey) might have said ‘cum grano salis’

 

[pderousse]

I just saw it at an IMAX theater... the film isn't "Twister" bad, but it isn't high art either.
But it was stupid loud... well over 100dB for most of the movie and hitting sustained peaks of 112dBC. After the initial onslaught, I had to measure it. My phone app is accurate to within ±0.1dB using the "C" scale as compared to a calibrated meter.

That was Zeus talking.

 

[Joe Smith]

My wife and I were both agreed, pretty lackluster. And very loud, yes, I had to plug my ears several times. I quite liked Oppeheimer, but this was a miss for me.

 

[Willem]

I’m no historian, but I thought that the dark ages were between the 5th and 11th centuries, and that Homer preceded that?

You are probably referring to a different Dark Age, the one after the fall of the Roman Empire, i.e. more than a millennium later. The one we are talking about here is the one after the fall of the Mycenan/Minoan civilization. It begins here, but also all over the Middle East, with traces of violent destruction, followed by a dramatic population decline. After a few centuries population began to grow again, with a quite different social and political structure, and leading to what is called the archaic period. The most common scholarly view is that the Homeric texts were written down towards the late Dark Age period or in the very early Archaic period, were the product of an oral tradition, and reflect society of at most a few generations before, even if there are bits and pieces probably originating further back in time.