When I first heard about The Return, Uberto Pasolini’s adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey , I was excited to watch Ralph Fiennes take on the role of an aged Odysseus as he finally came home after the Trojan War and his 10-year quest to reunite with his wife and son. Instead of being toyed with by the gods for 10 years after the end of the Trojan War, Odysseus’ long journey back home is left rather ambiguous, with the implication that his guilt of leading so many men to their deaths and severe PTSD brought on by the carnage of the decade-long war is what kept him away for so long. While I do appreciate what could be seen as a more modern approach to the source material, and while the choice does add a great deal of gravity to the story, I can’t help but think: What’s the point?
Author: Philip Sledge
Published at: 2025-05-31 22:04:00
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