I may be the only person on the planet not looking forward to Christopher Nolan’s version of “The Oddysey.”
I’ll try to be brief.
Odysseus is Homer’s counterpart to Achilles. The Iliad is “the Rage of Achilles,” and to oversimplify, Achilles is all fury and selfishness (frankly) until the end of the story, when his rage is spent. Odysseus is wily. He comes up with the Trojan Horse, after all. He wins the war Achilles drops out of for awhile, and doesn’t win despite his rage. And Odysseus defies the gods and spends 10 years getting home. Where he proceeds to take out all the “suitors” who’ve been swilling down Penelope’s stores. He is the counterpart to Achilles, the man who is always clearheaded about what he us doing, and charismatic and dynamic enough to carry the story of the 10 year journey to an exciting climax, and lead his men through every danger.
As much as I respect his work, I did not just describe Matt Damon.
In the trailer, Matt Damon all but cries; looks confused inside the giant horse; leads his men into battle with a cry so weak I’m surprised they heard it; and generally seems bewildered and lost. Anne Hathaway, on the other hand, draws on her Catwoman persona and, in the briefest appearance, shows more grit and determination than Damon. She could burn the topless towers of Ilium and take on all the mythical terrors of Greece, single handedly. She could put the fear of God into…the gods. Damon? Meh.
I’ve seen this trend in movies. Joauqin Phoenix played a Napoleon who was barely awake. The real Napoleon inspired France to take on Europe, and Beethoven to dedicate a symphony to him (Ludwig van later recanted that praise). Phoenix couldn’t inspire me to get out of bed. Pedro Pascal, bless him, played Reed Richards as a hapless genius overwhelmed with guilt (because he can’t “cure” Ben), and pretty much the weakest link in the chain of the Fantastic Four.
I get it. “The man” in action movies (what else is this?) as a John Wayne figure who can win WWII single handedly, and only needs a woman at home cooking meals, is a tired Hollywood trope. I have no problem with Penelope being as wily and tough as her husband. Look at what she had to deal with for 10 years. I think Ms. Hathaway nails it. But do we have to turn Napoleon into an anti-inspirational mumbler, and Odysseus into a suburban Dad who can’t find the way back to his cul-de-sac?
Nobody cares, just I’m just gonna read Homer this summer.
I agree that the upcoming Odyssey will probably be a star-studded CGI schlock-fest, though honestly that's probably the reason I'll be going to see it.
ReplyDeleteBut, like you, just the appearance of a big Hollywood movie has made me want to revisit it. As it happens a friend of mine, who never reads poetry, and who almost never touches fiction or literature, has started Emily Wilson's translation. You may remember, it came out a few years ago, much touted as the first translation by a woman, and largely lauded or condemned for reasons having nothing to do with its merits. So we got a copy, too.
I also pulled out the old Alexander Pope version, generally my favorite English translation, alongside the Loeb Greek, which I actually read in its entirety some decades ago. Reading and comparing I find Wilson rather plain, but fast-moving. Her idioms are sometimes surprising, sometimes jarring. She is considerably truer to the literal text than Pope. But Pope, of course, is a first rate poet whose 18th century heroic couplets I find admirable and entrancing.
The Greek is still difficult, slow to be read and sometimes a slog. But it is, after all, the Thing Itself, and carries an ancient beauty that justifies, for me, all the extra work. At least till it wears me out.
Don't tell me sword and sandals movies are coming back! Unfortunately I can't read Greek, I wish I'd studied it instead of Latin, sometimes. I couldn't get into Homer when I tried the Lattimore version of it on the recommendation of my Latin teacher (he taught Greek too).
ReplyDeleteI could resurrect my koine Greek, but that’s not Homer’s Greek. I have the Robert Fagles translation, which I bought back when it was the latest thing (?).
ReplyDeleteI’d probably go see the movie, truth to tell, but my favorite movie theater shut down, and I can’t imagine sitting for almost three hours anywhere else. (Yes, I am a pitiful old man trapped in some habits.) I have been disappointed in the trailers, though. But if it makes me read Homer again, I’ll take it.