Let's Talk

I'm an introvert, largely dependent on solitude for personal comfort. I'm also autistic, which is too big to simplify here, but it does mean I'm not particularly fond of–or good at–small talk. Put together, it's kind of funny that I do actually like to talk. I'm not usually down for a quick and meaningless conversation, but I am almost always on board with deep discussions, even with strangers. I'm very interested in finding out everything you know about mushrooms. Tell me all about what you're doing to teach your child about your spiritual beliefs; in fact, please expound on those beliefs. But more than anything, let's dive into words and stories and art.

Throughout my life, I've found the easiest way to connect with people is through entertainment. Digging into the thoughts and feelings about books, music, television, theater, movies, art, creativity, etc. I'm game to hear about most anything in that vein. However, I'm especially excited when there's a work that everyone in the discussion has seen/read/heard but have different reactions/understandings/views. I love to be challenged in my assessments and tease out all the possibilities. I love the opportunity to really hear contradictory views.

Which is why I'm gonna say something: I'm not super thrilled with the latest rendition of The Odyssey.

Now, my husband is someone with whom I particularly love having these discussions. We have plenty of interests in common, but our viewpoints are often very separate. We both walked out of that movie with varying degrees of satisfaction. But I already hashed it out with him, so now it's our turn. What I liked was the art of the movie. Certain costume pieces were truly gorgeous. The director chose some historic sites, so the views were legitimately amazing. And seeing all of it in Imax was a whole experience. (In all honesty, I'd been meh about this aspect, but my husband and I discussed Imax exstensively, watched videos, and learned all about the equipment and process before buying tickets. I'm very glad to have learned so much before seeing the results.)

As for the rest, I was rather disappointed.

I have been a huge Greek mythology nerd from a young age, and that includes being an OG fan of Wishbone in the role of Odysseus. That's actually my first memory of getting intrigued by literature and Greek tales. So when I say that this latest version doesn't feel like a ground-breaking take and doesn't really capture much of the characterization or culture or nuance that made the story so enduring . . . I mean it.

In particular, I was intensely disappointed by the portrayals of the female characters. Circe is turned into a bitter and lonely woman motivated by fear and self-interest rather than community and protection. Helen is pretty much just there. Calypso was really just a device and not a real source of tension or even treated as much of an obstacle. Athena? One particular aspect was compelling (though explaining would be a spoiler of a profound moment, so I won't expound), but, otherwise, she wasn't at all what Athena–flawed as she is–is known to encapsulate as a deity. Nor was her relationship with Odysseus particularly challenging or engaging. Which can also, unfortunately be said of our supposed heroine to Odysseus' hero, Penelope.

Of all the female characters seen in the film, Penelope is the biggest problem. She is all over the place. She's somewhat selfish, straight up nasty at times, not shown to be particularly clever, and just kind of helpless to the whims of all the men in the story at every point. They took a woman, renowned throughout history to be a woman capable of besting even the genius of her tactically brilliant husband, and made her a whiny passenger in her own life. They made her seem like a terrible mom too, honestly. And I don't blame the actress for this. Anne Hathaway has always had range and is capable of acting in smart and nuanced ways. This really does come down to writing. Which is saying something, because, as a character, Penelope has never been a particular favorite of mine.

Smaller issues would include dialogue. I was taken out of the narrative several times by word choices that just didn't match with the settings or tone. I was also pretty grossed out by two scenes in particular and straight up had to stop watching, close my eyes, and block my ears for a period of time that felt longer than necessary. I also didn't find Matt Damon as engaging in the role of Odysseus as I was hoping. He's very good at portraying playful, prideful, and sincere roles, but that was only glimpsed momentarily in the movie rather than being the actual heart of the character. I can't tell though, like with Penelope, how much of that was due to acting or writing choices.

Overall, it was just another version of a classic that was tackled by a white guy with a western perspective on the source material. It was visually stunning with decent music, but otherwise not a novel take on an ancient and much-studied story. Like I said, I already talked all of this out with my husband. I tried to talk about it with another person in my life who's already seen it, but they weren't quite willing to discuss it in-depth. And I just haven't had the chance to chat about it with anyone else due to timing conflicts of who has and hasn't seen it yet.

So here we are, and I'm asking any readers who've seen the film to give me their thoughts and feelings about what they watched. I'd love to hear new perspectives, which is why I came home and immediately bought the translated book by Emily Wilson. I'm very curious to see a female take on the traditional tale. I've also never read The Odyssey, though I did read The Illiad in late middle/early high school. I'm looking forward to a fresh perspective and understanding of the legendary story. I haven't gotten my copy yet, but I'd love to discuss it if you have read it or buy it too.

Happy reading!