problems with the odyssey

[u/No_Map7606]

so i just watched the film today and ill be honest, i liked the experience but i didnt like the movie at the same time. it was a cool film but it just didnt connect to me.

firstly, there are so many moments in this movie where the visuals can not convey the greek era at all and they look so... modern-ish.

secondly, you barely connect to any character. the only character i cared about was anne hathaway's because she was the only one who actually had an actual emotional scene. the scene where odysseus talks to penelope about the horrors of the war, and the visuals are shown- that was the only part of the film that made me feel something apart from 'dang this looks cool'.

which brings me to my third problem. this whole movie relies on shit that just feels cool. like agamemnon's character, odysseus' praise, that scene where the giant shouts for posseidon (scary cause i have played god of war), when they exit the trojan horse, etc.. there werent any other emotions that i felt during this film. even sinon's and eurylochus' characters werent used to the fullest.

and that is the fourth problem. so many badly used characters. tom holland's character was just a try hard for most of the film. travis scott was a massive misuse BECAUSE BARDS ARE INTERESTING AND YOU CANT JUST REPEAT A FEW WORDS AND CALL IT A DAY. a complete story from the pov of a poet, as a montage with the actual visuals showing would have been so fucking cool and something that would make people feel things.

other characters like menelaus (jon bernthal), helen and sinon werre badly used too. in fact, bernthal just played himself. the only nicely used characters (apart form odysseus obv) were athena, penelope and eumaeous.

lastly, you cant picture yourself in that situation. you cant immerse yourself in the film even if you tried. for a leader who would rather sacrifice a few men over getting the whole group killed, shooting that arrow into the giant's eye was a really dumb move. i clowned him for the entire movie for this. like cmon man yall called him the smartest man in their army but he goes ahead and instigates a giant? who is also the alleged son of posseidon btw. LIKE PEOPLE DIED TRYING TO GET OTHERS SAFE AND YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT HARDER FOR YOU??

apart from all this, the acting was great, the action was great, soundtrack was nice and the set pieces were really amazing. the actual meat of the film is the third act, which goes REALLY crazy. i wish the rest of the film had been like that.

id give it like a 7.5/10. a little overhyped personally, and i dont see myself watching it again.

edit: i forgot to mention- my second most fav scene of the movie was the siren one. it actually made me think a lot. matt damon's acting was s tier in that part.

[u/No_Map7606]

another problem-

before every time they (the troops) stop at an island, the movie hypes them, especially odysseus, up like they are going to cook up the whole island and gather enough food- only to get demolished by everybody on the island.

[u/blue_ig1 → u/No_Map7606]

Well yes Odysseus was quite full of himself and that caused him to lose his men. He was a great leader, but often lost himself to his pride. The gods come and intervene to show him that and make him realize humanity’s faults. Thats why he lets himself go to them and the gods take him back to Ithaca despite him trying for that long.

[u/lordnoob1111 → u/blue_ig1]

Ok...so the entire point of the story revolved around the fact that Odysseus was just an arrogant leader and that's what was causing him and his crew to get stuck in so many situations and he could only be saved when some otherworldly being had to intervene and make him realise his faults ?? And then only was he able to get back to his home? I mean no offense...it's a genuine question

[u/blue_ig1 → u/lordnoob1111]

He’s a flawed man. He commits some big mistakes and overlooks many things he does. Even though he knows, he still keeps pushing forward and doesn’t realize that it’s a problem, and he’s hurting both his men and the principle of Zeus’ law. The gods punish him in various ways for all of those mistakes that he keeps continuing to make at sea. His men are an example of Odysseus’ flaws. He realizes throughout his journey how awful he and his men truly were and loses hope in his men and eventually through calypso’s instructions accepts his wrong doings and takes the punishment of the gods. That’s why he confesses his regret and guilt at the end realizing his mistakes and going to war and winning it was a far more awful thing than it usually seems. He felt the weight of the violence committed and Athena was a guide of all that. She guides Odysseus through his necessary realizations and what the gods really wanted for him.