Odysseus’ Comeback

Are swords & sandals making a comeback?

I sure looks that way and if the recent past is any indication, it’s about time.

Last week Variety released a First Look at Matt Damon in his role as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Others in the cast include Tom Holland, Mia Goth, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal and John Leguizamo. The first question that comes to mind is “who, if any, of these beautiful women will be cast as Helen of Troy?” My second; who plays Cersi?

It’s this final question that, to me, has the highest stakes, who of them will have the unenviable task of following after Juliette Binoche’s powerful portrayal of Penelope. Binoche’s Penelope was the unsung hero of last year’s THE RETURN. She should have been offered an Oscar for her role in redeeming a world weary Odysseus played by Ralph Fiennes. He returns home after a war and journey which took nearly as long as the 28 years since they both won Oscars for their leading roles in THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1997).

Fiennes portrays a reluctant Odysseus not quite fully returned from a dehumanizing war. Not quite the action epic of movies like 300 or the FX spectacle of CLASH OF THE TITANS, THE RETURN is an atmospheric study in perseverance and restraint. Until the iconic moment depicted above – The Drawing of The Bow..

Homer’s Odyssey is the iconic tale of adventure but it’s concluding chapter, his return, is often over-shadowed by the more bombastic elements of rock throwing cyclops or seductive magic using Demi-Goddesses. Yet that scene has stayed with me since I first read the translated tale as an adolescent. A contributing factor to this story fragment finding a permanent place in my memory palace was an in-school viewing of the the 1954 film Ulysses, staring Kirk Douglas in the titular role.

https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxGeZeGiEaj1pQk1ws7nGhxZ-l-PPCaUFy

Interestingly, upon reviewing the clip, many years later, it’s remarkable how much the scene has been compressed in my mind. Perhaps a side effect of frequently witnessing the most distilled version of this moment moments before a variety of movies begin. Thanks to the TSG logo, something I habitually point out even time I see it before a movie…

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Movies within the Sword & Sandal genre cycle in popularity. Similar to Martial Arts, High Fantasy and other niche genres. It’s been just over a decade since movie-goers were treated to Bronze Age Battles like the following –

• 2014 – Pompeii
• 2014 – 300: Rise of an Empire
• 2012 – Wrath of the Titans
• 2011 – Immortals
• 2010 – Clash of the Titans
• 2006 – 300
• 2004 – Troy

There’s one other portrayal of note; Sean Bean as Odysseus in TROY (2004). Cast in much more of a supporting role as compared to Achilles (Brad Pitt) & Hector (Eric Bana) it’s one of the few roles in the Sean Bea filmography where the character survives.

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