You already know “The Odyssey” will be epic given its director (Christopher Nolan), its nearly three-hour run time and the mammoth IMAX cameras used to shoot it.
Based on an ancient Greek poem by Homer, the film, now in theaters, tells the story of Odysseus (Matt Damon) as he spends 10 years trying to return home to his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), after the fall of Troy. Also in the cast are Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Penelope’s primary suitor; and Zendaya as the goddess Athena.
You may have read the poem in high school. But there’s no “Star Wars” scroll to refresh your memory; the film drops you quickly into the final weeks of Odysseus’ journey.
While many parts of the story — the Trojan horse, the involvement of the gods, any mention of magic — are decidedly fictional, historians do generally agree that a conflict did take place at some point between the Greeks and the people of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), where the ancient city of Troy was located. The poem probably amalgamates several real skirmishes, raids and trade rivalries into a legendary 10-year siege.
Here’s what to know.
When does ‘The Odyssey’ take place?
It’s approximately 1200 B.C., and the decade-long Trojan War has just ended. The events of the epic poem span the next decade. (Yes, if you’re counting, this means Odysseus will have been away from his family for 20 years by the end of his journey back to his kingdom of Ithaca.)
What was the Trojan War about?
It all started over a woman whose name you’ve probably heard: Helen.
On one side was the Bronze Age city of Troy; on the other, a coalition of ancient Greek kingdoms.
Helen (Lupita Nyong’o), the most beautiful woman in the world (a.k.a. “the face that launch’d a thousand ships”), was married to Menelaus (Jon Bernthal), the king of the Greek city-state of Sparta. While Menelaus was away, Paris, a young prince from Troy, paid a visit. Stories differ on whether he seduced Helen and convinced her to follow him back to Troy, or whether he abducted her, though Homer seems to favor the seduction version of events.
Menelaus was not pleased. He convinced his brother, Agamemnon (Benny Safdie), the king of Mycenae, another ancient Greek kingdom, to lead an army into Troy to pillage the city and retrieve Helen.
The campaign took 10 years. It was a blood bath, but the Greeks ultimately emerged victorious, thanks to Odysseus and his Trojan horse ploy.
What was the Trojan horse?
Even if you know nothing else about the Trojan War, you’re probably familiar with the expression “Trojan horse,” which has entered the lexicon as a metaphor for something that appears harmless but contains hidden malice. The ancient reference appears widely in pop culture, including in shows like “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Doctor Who.”
In this case, the name is pretty literal: It refers to a giant hollow wooden horse that Odysseus and several dozen soldiers hid inside as a means of penetrating Troy’s city walls.
So how did this work? After a long day of fighting the Trojans, Odysseus and his men seemed to admit defeat, retreating from the battlefield and leaving behind just the soldier Sinon (Elliot Page) and the enormous horse, which they positioned outside the city gates.
The horse, Sinon told the Trojans, was a peace offering to the goddess Athena. The Trojans fell for it and dragged the supposed offering inside the city walls, celebrating what they believed to be the end of the war. After the city went to sleep, Odysseus and his men emerged and opened the gates to the waiting Greek army, catching the Trojans by surprise and leading to the city’s surrender.
What happens after the war?
For Odysseus, finally, it’s time to return to Ithaca after being away from Penelope and Telemachus, now a teen, for 10 years. Cue the events of “The Odyssey,” which follows Odysseus’ harrowing journey.
Along the way, he encounters sea monsters; a Cyclops; tempting Siren songs; and a sorceress, Circe (Samantha Morton), who turns men into pigs. Good thing he has Athena, the goddess of wisdom, looking out for him.
What’s going on back in Ithaca?
Penelope, who was a mere teen when Odysseus left, is now in her 30s. (Nolan ages her up; Hathaway is 43, though Damon, at 55, is around the same age as Odysseus at the end of his journey.)
Penelope’s attracted dozens of suitors — basically the island’s entire population of young, rich men — who are staying at the palace, ready to pounce if only she’ll admit what seems obvious to them: Odysseus is probably dead. They’re ready to murder his son and take the throne.
Penelope, though, never gives up. In an interview with Time magazine, Hathaway said she and Damon understood “The Odyssey” as a love story between soulmates. Penelope devises various means of keeping Antinous and the other suitors at bay.
What is Zeus’ Law?
It’s an implicit agreement between hosts and travelers, and it’s enforced by Zeus, the protector of strangers and guests. Hosts are required to provide food and shelter to travelers, who are in turn expected to be courteous and to not overstay their welcome. Violating it was seen as a grave risk; that stranger at your door might have been a god in disguise.
Who are some of the other major players?
In Nolan’s adaptation, Nyong’o is playing not only Helen, but also Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, who is married to Agamemnon. Yes, two sisters are married to two brothers. (If you want more on what happens between Clytemnestra and Agamemnon after the war, check out Aeschylus’ “Oresteia” trilogy.)
Charlize Theron also makes an appearance as Calypso, a nymph who traps Odysseus on her island for seven years in the hope of making him her immortal husband.
Other notables: John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus, Odysseus’ blind swineherd and childhood friend; Mia Goth is Melantho, a maid serving Odysseus and Penelope; Himesh Patel is Eurylochus, Odysseus’ second-in-command; and Bill Irwin is Polyphemus, the Cyclops whom Odysseus blinds with a stake.
The rapper Travis Scott is also in this version, playing a bard. Nolan has said he included the character because he wanted to reference how the poem had been passed down orally, in a parallel to modern hip-hop culture.
How is ‘The Odyssey’ related to ‘The Iliad’?
The two epic poems are by Homer, with several characters, including Odysseus, appearing in both. “The Iliad” is essentially the prequel: It covers the final few weeks of the Trojan War. (Achilles is the protagonist; Odysseus is a supporting character.)
“The Odyssey” picks up roughly 10 years after the events of “The Iliad.”
I remember something about Odysseus killing his father and marrying his mother?
That’s Sophocles’ tragedy “Oedipus Rex,” — which was written several centuries later — not “The Odyssey.” No patricide here!
The post What to Know Before Seeing ‘The Odyssey’ appeared first on New York Times.
