When Odysseus starts floating away on that raft, you know it’s about to go down. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is now in theaters, and as you’re watching it, you realize that’s the moment. You’ve been taken on this incredible journey for two hours, and now, everything is about to pay off. It pays off so well, in fact, that we just wanted to geek out a little bit about the way everything comes together. Beware of spoilers.
The third act of The Odyssey, once Odysseus leaves Calypso and returns to Ithaca, is so effective because of its pacing. Much like the character himself, Nolan really takes his time meticulously executing the full plan, and it just gets better and better along the way. It all starts with Odysseus’ reunion with Eumaeus (John Leguizamo), who we’ve watched be so faithful to his missing king for so long. Eumaeus doesn’t know this stranger who has appeared at his doorstep is Odysseus, but he knows something is up. He can sense it. Which is partially why he lets Odysseus in on the knowledge about the plot against his son, Telemachus (Tom Holland). Odysseus then travels to save Telemachus, which is interesting not only because it gives us that first meeting with his son, but also because it delays Odysseus’ return even further. Even when he arrives near home, he’s not ready to actually be home. He’s got business to attend to first before stepping through the gates. This then results in a fun, violent scene as he saves Telemachus and the pair return to Ithaca.
