critique of Uberto Pasolini's adaptation of The Odyssey entitled "The Return"
New Drama Duel: The Odyssey's Curious Comparison
Uberto Pasolini's latest cinematic offering, The Return, finds itself boots-on against an unseen rival—Christopher Nolan's forthcoming adaptation of The Odyssey. While Nolan's project is still in the throes of filming, The Return is already making waves, with Ralph Fiennes transformed into a chiseled, battle-hardened Odysseus.
After twenty years of war, the king of Ithica returns home to find his kingdom overrun. Confronted by unrecognizing suitors and a skeptical Penelope (Juliette Binoche), Odysseus must navigate a landscape of grief and trauma to save those he loves.
Shot on the picturesque island of Corfu, The Return infuses the epic tale with a gritty realism, stripping away mythical creatures and divine interventions. The film becomes a psychological study of the protagonist's torment, showcasing Penelope's steadfastness amid a male-dominated world. Unfortunately, the pared-down approach means a loss of some story's grandiosity, with its pace slowing and the weight of the story resting heavily on Fiennes's shoulders.
But fear not! Fiennes carries that weight with aplomb, delivering an intense and nuanced performance that leaves viewers in awe. His wild-haired, tortured portrayal of Odysseus captures every ounce of the character's suffering. The rest of the cast, including Binoche, Fiennes' former co-star from The English Patient, holds their own, with particular praise going to the stoic Binoche and the limp, passionless performance of Charlie Plummer as Odysseus' son.
While The Return offers an acting masterclass, it falls short of the same dynamic storytelling that makes Homer's original epic endure. Instead, it stands as a potentially intriguing precursor to Nolan's grand-scale retelling, set to be released in 2026.
In Nolan's adaptation, Matt Damon takes on the role of Odysseus in a project rumored to embrace spectacle-driven storytelling. The marked contrast between Pasolini's human-centric approach and Nolan's mythmaking highlights the adventure that awaits fans of the classic epic.
The Return graces screens starting April 11
- Uberto Pasolini, in his latest film, 'The Return', takes on a realistic interpretation of Homer's Odyssey, as Ralph Fiennes transforms into a battle-weary Odysseus, following the story's original plot.
- In a stark contrast, filmmaker Pasolini opts to strip away mythical creatures and divine interventions, casting his adaptation in a gritty realism, reminiscent of the world of movies-and-tv entertainment.
- Coinciding with this, Pasolini's contemporary, Christopher Nolan, is set to tackle a more mythical telling of Odysseus' story in 2026's adaptation, where Matt Damon steps into the role of the legendary hero, with the promise of spectacle-driven storytelling.
