Has anyone seen The Odyssey film yet and what did you think

[Hatey]

Anyone booked or been to see The Odyssey. I’m booked for Sunday. I don’t really care about the casting, as it’s a myth.
So I’m looking forward to it!

Unconvincing 🙄. An ancient myth about one eyed monsters etc was never going to be gritty realism was it?! Think you may have gone to the wrong film.

where do you live @RaraRachael ?

I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. It has been many years since I read the story, so it was nice to see it again. I did find it a bit long (but then, The Odyssey is more than a bit long!), and the characters didn't grab me, but it was well-shot and well-acted. Definitely worth a trip to the cinema, but I wouldn't need to see it more than once.

I saw it yesterday and loved it
It is very violent, but there is no dwelling on blood and gore, its more seen from a distance
generally I dislike a lot of battling (eg can't abide LOTR) but this was OK- I suppose because the themes and dilemmas were to the fore rather than the tactics?
I found the dialogue difficult to follow at the beginning
I had no idea who Elliot Page was beforehand. But now it makes sense why the character (Sinon?) seemed to be so young at the crucial moment, when he was left with the Trojan horse, when the other men had clearly aged- and he seemed to still be a young lad. Which did make a difference, worse for Odysseus to leave a boy in that situation than a grown man, and to betray him by lying,

I never grasped why/how Sinon was allocated to go either or who was to blame for that- that was a moment I really needed subtitles.

I didn't find it overtly violent but am wondering now if there was a slightly edited version in Australia which is where I saw it. The age rating in Australia was M for Mature which means anyone can see it without a formal age restriction although generally recommended for 15 or over. I did have to avert my eyes sometimes though because I am very squeamish about violence generally.

It was the best film I’ve seen in ages.

The Moray coast

The cast were all staying in a local hotel but tbh I wouldn't have recognised any of them if I'd seen them 😅

I listened to a few history podcasts before I went and that’s all I have done since I returned!
Someone on the read along book thread, mentioned it’s on BBC Sounds. So I’m listening to that now! Going to enjoy my drive to and from work this week!

I've just googled. There were minor edits to the film to allow it to be shown as an M in Australia.

I also read it was filmed in Scotland, in the sea that must have been bloody freezing!

I agree with you. A little google with words like Trojan War and Odysseus/Ulysees wouldn't take that long to look up.

As a result of reading the poem Ulysees many years ago for exams I found myself last evening saying 'far on the ringing plains of windy Troy'!

I couldn't hear what everyone was saying. It was very loud and the music/thudding served to escalate the action. It was fairly compelling. I didn't nod off which is quite good for me in a 3-hour film. I'm quite happy to have gone to see it and I don't want to go again. (I do sometimes see films more than once.) I recognised Mia Goth as the maid and I've known Samantha Morton in things for years. Fancy that lad Matt Damon being an old fellow in the fillums nowadays.
Were the lotus eaters anything to do with the sirens and was the Lorelei in something completely different? I'm away to google.

@Hateyit was filmed at the start of last year, so can't have been much fun.
The ships were tied up in the local harbour so it was nice to go and look at them.

It was the sequence with the laestrygonians that was filmed in Scotland. Hades was filmed in Iceland for the black sand. CN will always shoot somewhere real over using green screen, if possible. There's some interesting posts on Instagram for those who are interested in seeing more of the filming process, including the IMAX cameras and shooting locations.

Yes really enjoyed it, didn't feel like 3 hours! Was good having a vague knowledge from childhood of the characters.
Did shut my eyes a bit during the lightning as I thought it might give me a headache and omg, the pigs, horrific! Made me feel quite queasy.

Was it filmed near Cullen @RaraRachael ?

Is the book everyone is talking about the Stephen Fry book? Because I've only managed to get half way through that, it's boring me a bit rigid.

I’m listening to that on Audible at the moment and I agree: not thrilling.

There’s lots of different versions. I’m reading the Emily Wilson version.

@Butterburr yes some filming was done at Findlater Castle near Cullen although I've no idea how they got all that equipment down there!
Then along the Moray Coast as far as Burghead.

I am reading the Emily Wilson version too and it's such easy reading, love it .
Going to see the film on Friday , can't wait 😁

Ah thank you!!! I’ve walked there along the coast path from Cullen to Sunnyside Bay many times. Must have been quite challenging especially in winter!

Were the lotus eaters anything to do with the sirens and was the Lorelei in something completely different? I'm away to google.

No, the lotus eaters were in a completely different country in a scene that didn’t come into the book. They are unrelated to the sirens, who lure men to their deaths. The lotus eaters are just super chill. The danger there is that you’ll start eating the lotus flower yourself and won’t be arsed with your quest anymore. They wound a bit of this story into the Calypso story, where it doesn’t appear in the book.

Lorelei is completely unrelated. It’s a rock in the Rhine where shipwrecks were common, which gave rise to a legend of a siren, also called Lorelei. It’s a German myth from much more recent times.

Thought it was a magnificent film. Thoroughly enjoyed. Atmospheric and some great film making. Enjoy!

I went on Saturday and while I can see why it is being called all the great things, found it a bit "meh".
However, i think this is likely because I studied it 40 years ago and our classics teacher was So enthusiastic about it and the stories were told in a very age appropriate way.