The Return

Review by Mark Woodring

I can’t tell you how many Greek plays I read while I was getting my Master’s degree, but it was a lot. But all of them owed a debt to the two Homeric Epics: The Iliad and The Odyssey.

The Return is another Hollywood recounting of Odysseus, King of the island of Ithaca, after his decade-long trip back from Troy, only to find his kingdom on the brink of collapse as his Queen, Penelope, is under siege by suitors convinced of his long-ago demise at Troy.

**NOTE: this post may be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it (or, in Mark’s case, the ABILITY to talk about it). Until then, you can read Mark’s review below. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**

The Return - Review
The Return (Bleeker Street)

116 Minutes, Rated R
Written by Edward Bond, John Collee, Homer
Directed by Uberto Pasolini

Synopsis:

After 20 years Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, where he finds his wife held prisoner by suitors vying to be king and his son facing death at their hands. To win back his family and all he has lost, Odysseus must rediscover his strength.

 

The last literal version of this I can remember is the 1997 film The Odyssey, starring Armand Assante, but the Coen Brothers adapted the idea for their acclaimed film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Odysseus himself may have last appeared in the not-quite-as-acclaimed 2004 Brad Pitt film, Troy, where he was portrayed by the great Sean Bean.

But with The Return, director Uberto Pasolini shows us a darker take of what 20 years of war and exile can do to a man.

Ralph Fiennes is man broken. Washing up on the shores of Ithaca, he is saved by a farmer who doesn’t recognize him and who informs him of the current state of affairs. Tired of war and knowing the suitors would not suffer him to return to power should he declare himself, he hides, unable to face even his son, who is torn between his need to protect his mother and desire to sail away to find his father.

This is a version of the story that is more interested in the abuse of the kingdom by the suitors than it is in the traditional view of Odysseus’ clever ruse to regain his throne. Though The Return does use the traditional bow and axe head episode, of course, but only as an excuse to unleash a Homeric-Era, John Wick-level beatdown by Odysseus on the astonished suitors.

While The Return does play a bit lose with the traditional telling, it nonetheless is an enjoyable romp though ancient time without overstaying its welcome with an excessive runtime (unlike Troy‘s 2 hour, 43 minute “epic” length, lol).

It’s a throwback to classic filmmaking, not relying on special effects or gee-whizz trickery; instead, it lets the classic tale unfold through the performances of it’s leads, Fiennes and Juliette Binoche (as Penelope), who bring elegance and formality to the tale, befitting their stature as actors.

As a fan of the Greeks, I found The Return to be an welcome addition to the sadly under-appreciated source material.

The Return is in theaters now and stars Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer, Marwan Kenzari, and Tom Rhys Harries.

And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.

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