Storytelling and Film – The Odyssey 7.31.26

Luckily my three sons do not mind having me around from time to time.  As a result, Carter and Davis invited me to see The Odyssey on opening weekend at the only IMAX theater in Richmond. Noted for its grand scale, cinematography, its use of new IMAX technology, its star-studded cast, and majestic sweep in storytelling, the film is being touted as a cultural moment in our society. On a budget of $250 million, it is expected to gross over $1 billion worldwide. It has already grossed over $600 million after the first two weekends. So, I am very happy that I was able to participate in this cultural event with two of my sons.

Many historians believe a Greek named Homer wrote not only The Odyssey, the epic poem that the movie is based on, but also The Iliad, which tells the story of the Trojan War.  Other historians believe that Homer is a fictional person and that both epic poems were oral stories passed down and written down by several authors.  Regardless, almost all scholars agree that these works of literature influenced all future western literature, either directly or indirectly.  In fact, Joseph Campbell’s seminal work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, written in 1949, describes “The Hero’s Journey” which is the structure used by Homer in Odysseus.  And Campbell argues that this structure or pattern is a universal pattern common to a heroic tale in every culture that goes beyond western civilization.  Please read my July 2023 Blog Post on his book, which outlines the mythic pattern of the hero’s mission, which includes departure, transformation, and return.

Homer’s The Iliad is the story of the Greeks’ 10-year siege of the city of Troy, and the eventual destruction of the city by a trick the Greeks played on the Trojans.  The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus, a Greek hero of the Trojan War, and his 10-year journey to get home to Ithaca after the war.  

The film has created quite a buzz on social media, from supporters and critics alike. Not one to shy away from big projects, Christopher Noland, the director has attempted something that most directors would not even think about – putting The Odyssey on film. Having directed movies like The Dark Knight, Dunkirk and Oppenheimer, he is unafraid to take risks. How does one create a film about a little-known scientist and the creation of the atomic bomb and make it a cultural event? Noland did it. So, how did Noland take a poem that most people have never read and will never read and make it a cultural event?

It is interesting to hear the chatter – critics and supporters alike – many who have not read these classics – around the messaging of the movie. Supporters praise it as a sophisticated view of human nature – and how stories can deceive or liberate, comfort or disturb, or bring people together of split them apart. Critics of the film are calling it too “Woke” and that it does not stay true to the poem.

Unlike most people who will see this movie, I have read and studied both The Iliad and The Odyssey.  And I will admit that the only reason I have done so is because I participate in my three sons’ Book Club that does read dense literature.  Like all great works of fiction, readers can take away from the poem The Odyssey different messages.  Like all good literature, the poem reflects the times it was written but also challenges its audience to think a little differently.  And although honor and shame, especially as it relates to war, were integral to Greek Culture, so was family, hospitality and spirituality.  In addition to these themes, the danger of hubris runs as a theme in the poem The Odyssey. And a theme that does run through both The Odyssey and The Iliad is the moral implication of war and violence. Because of the times in which he lived, Homer inserts these themes through reflections.  And because of the times we now live, those themes are much more central in the movie.

So, did I enjoy the movie?  In addition to the downside of hubris and the moral implications of decisions we make, the movie also examines the themes of survival, camaraderie, masculinity, the importance of family, and the human condition under extreme conditions.  And this is where I might be in the minority.  I do not believe these themes are artfully communicated because I do not believe the movie was good storytelling. The messaging of the movie did not resonate with me.  Good storytelling emotes. And this movie felt emotionally distant. The acting felt very wooden. And as much as I like Matt Damon, I would put this role in the same category as Tom Hanks’s role as the protagonist in the movie Bonfire of the Vanities, based on Tom Wolfe’s novel with the same title. It may have been Tom Hank’s worst performance in his entire acting career.

To be honest, I think the dramatic scenes and cinematography was distracting to the actual story.  It was like Noland was trying to tell a story but would interject all these crazy scenes to prove how masterful of a cinematographer he is.  So, it felt long and choppy to me.  The only character that felt remotely real to me was Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, played by the actress Anne Hathaway.  When Noland was interviewed about the movie, he stated that he wanted the viewer to become lost in the movie – totally captured as if he were experiencing the same challenges as the hero.  Well, he failed to do that with me.

But again, this is where I may differ from most people.  Elizabeth and I talked about this last night when it comes to art. I collect art and my art does not necessarily “fit with a room”.  I have entered people’s homes that have beautiful art. And like their home, it is very intentional, with just the right color and content to go with the room.  It is as if an interior decorator helped pick out the art to create the perfect visual experience. But the room and the art have no soul. It does not speak to me.  That is the same for Noland’s movie.  I very much respect the craft. It is an amazing film. But it did not speak to me.

And then I watched a movie in the quiet of my home last night that tackles the same themes as The Odyssey but does so with extraordinary storytelling. And it captured me and spoke to me. The Long Walk, which came out in 2025, is a dystopian thriller based on Stephen King’s novel of the same title.  Unlike the Odyssey, which received a score of 8.5 out of 10 on IMDb, The Long Walk received a score of only 6.6 out of 10.  It did better on rotten tomatoes, getting a score of 88% compared to 94% for The Odyssey. The Long Walk made $60 million on a budget of $20 million.  It goes to show you can make an amazing film on a small budget. In summary, I enjoyed The Long Walk more than The Odyssey simply because it is much better storytelling.  And I am drawn to good storytelling, especially when the story has characters that must face and tackle deep moral dilemmas.  And this movie does so in spades.

One think to keep in mind – Stephen King may be the best storyteller of his generation. And if you have not read his autobiography, On Writing, you should.  The first part of the book tells his story, and the second part of the book explains how to become a good writer. His best advice on becoming a good writer – read a lot and write a lot. So, the Long Walk is based on a very good story written by a gifted storyteller.

The movie itself is classified as a horror film.  Let me be clear, I am not a horror film fan.  I DO NOT WATCH HORROR FILMS.  Although there is some graphic violence consisting of gunshots to the head, it is not a horror film in the classic sense.  And if you can somehow get past those graphic scenes, the movie is very much worth watching.  It is about 50 teenage boys that participate in an annual televised, deadly walking contest where the last one standing wins riches and one wish, while the other forty-nine contestants are executed along the way for falling behind. The fifty boys must walk at a constant speed of over 3 mph.  They get a warning if they stop or their speed falls below 3 mph.  After the third warning they are shot. I know – this movie is not for everyone, including my wife.

During the walk, the boys form bonds as they face the grim reality of the competition.  The same themes of survival, camaraderie, masculinity, the importance of family and the human condition under extreme conditions are examined.  I cannot believe that David Jonsson, who played one of the two last boys on the walk, and in my opinion, the hero of the movie, was not nominated for an Oscar.  His performance was riveting.  There were no special effects.  There were no interruptions to the story.  It was just a bunch of teenagers walking along a series of roads for several days being followed with T.V. cameras and shadowed by military vehicles and soldiers with guns. The simple imagery is powerful. Sometimes simple IS BETTER.

Unlike The Odyssey, the movie was almost all dialogue. But the four-day journey for the remaining boys was a complete Odyssey. And either directly or indirectly, the Odyssey and The Iliad most assuredly influenced Stephen King in writing this. For example, if one reads both poems, especially the Iliad, the violence and killing is very graphic.  Homer holds back nothing. Some people would find reading those poems, especially the detailed descriptions of the killings and one-on-one combats too graphic to handle. And that is obviously done on purpose. War and violence are disturbing. And that is why it is necessary to show the killings in The Long Walk.  They are very disturbing.  And they should be.

I would put this movie in the same category as three movies I wrote about in 2020 – Departures, Two Days, One Night, and The Hero.  These are beautiful, little-known movies about struggling protagonists dealing with moral questions. And each is a hero – not the Odysseus type of hero, but the quiet everyday hero that we all have around us if we are willing to look for them. And as the “the long walk” begins, the boys do not realize that there is a quiet hero walking with them.

There are several very poignant scenes in the movie. One of the first is the very first execution. Like most of the boys, the viewer does not even see it.  But you hear it.  A boy walking near the front of the group states, “I will never get used to that sound.” Another says, “You will.” And the first responds with. “That is exactly what I am afraid of.”   Like the boys on the walk, we need to be vigilant so that we do not become desensitized to bullying, unnecessary violence, and a lack of common courtesy and decency.  However, we are now in a period where those behaviors are becoming normalized.  And we are all susceptible to it. But like real heroes, each of us, without becoming drama queens or using performative behavior, can quietly insist that those actions and behaviors are not acceptable. But to do so, we need to start with ourselves. I, for one, have found myself being judgmental and using performative behavior.  And afterwards, I tell myself, I need to do better.  We all do.