The cinematic world eagerly anticipates Christopher Nolan‘s grand Imax take on Homer’s Odyssey, yet it’s Uberto Pasolini’s raw, intense drama, The Return, that has captured immediate attention. This gripping adaptation delves into the poem’s final sections, illustrating Odysseus’s harrowing return to Ithaca after Troy’s fall. Collaboratively written with John Collee and based on Edward Bond’s 90s draft, The Return marks Bond’s last contribution before his passing in 2024.
Ralph Fiennes steps into the role of Odysseus with a performance that captures his character’s deep-seated trauma and survivor guilt. The film explores themes of PTSD, alienation, and the decay of masculine ideals. Fiennes’s portrayal is both enigmatic and powerful, capturing Odysseus in a state of conflicted reentry to a home beset by chaos. Washed ashore in a Shakespearian fashion rather than Homeric, he’s initially resistant to reveal his identity, perhaps burdened by shame from his prolonged absence and troubling experiences.
Juliette Binoche plays Penelope, the abandoned queen who holds onto her dignity and hope amid growing lawlessness. Her refusal to remarry creates tension as Ithaca struggles without its leader. Odysseus’s son, Telemachus, portrayed by Charlie Plummer, is torn with resentment, amplifying the family drama as Ralph Fiennes’s Odysseus maneuvers through his homeland in a disguise reminiscent of a Christ-like wanderer, evoking the visceral imagery of Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man.
The film draws comparison to classical adaptations by Pasolini’s namesake Pier Paolo Pasolini, incorporating the classic allure of films like Medea and Oedipus. It carries an energetic spirit akin to Ridley Scott‘s Gladiator, filled with palpable tension and raw emotion, positioning The Return as an elemental narrative brimming with intensity.
The Return premiered in UK and Irish cinemas on 11 April and is currently showing in Australia. Its impact is profound, portraying Ralph Fiennes’s Odysseus as a deeply conflicted hero, underscoring the timeless struggle between war’s glory and its enduring scars. Viewers are left contemplating the hero’s journey, contemplating the harsh realities that Odysseus, embodied by Fiennes, must navigate in this gritty adaptation.
