As a lover of Greek myth and fantasy, movies that strip those elements in favor of purely human stories more rooted in history are a mixed bag with me. In Uberto Pasolini’s The Return, a well-crafted, beautifully-acted, somewhat muted adaptation of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, there are no sirens, or cyclopses, no vast adventure at sea. The loss of the fantastical isn’t automatically a bad thing, especially when you’ve got the reunion of Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche as long-lost lovers Odysseus and Penelope. But it’s also fair to say that this story of a war-ravaged husband’s return home to claim his kingdom is missing passion, excitement, and modern relevance.
Fortunately, the film does have Fiennes and Binoche. Let’s just say it; Fiennes is absolutely ripped. Does he look like this underneath those papal gowns in Conclave? If the others knew they’d make him Pope on the spot. Fiennes is lean and muscular but battle-scarred in The Return, which picks up after Odysseus has washed up on the shores of Ithaca, naked and battered. Years following the Trojan War, most believe he was either killed on the battlefield or lost at sea. Some rumors say he is living on an island with another woman, perhaps Pasolini’s nod to the princess Nausicaa, a character excluded from this very focused adaptation. Fiennes’ Odysseus is a man who has been torn apart by war, both the things he saw and the things he did. He talks solemnly about the men he’s lost, his Trojan Horse scheme that got his men inside Troy’s gates, and burning the city to ash only to wash it away with rivers of blood. Rather than reveal his true identity as King of Ithaca, Odysseus poses as a poor beggar and sees the devastation done to his home in his absence.
Similar to Fiennes, Binoche’s performance as Penelope is largely internal, quiet, and contemplative. While her husband watches from the shadows, Penelope is forced to contend with scores of dangerous suitors looking to take advantage of her. They threaten the life of her son, Telemachus (Charlie Plummer), who they see as a threat to their ambitions. But keeping them at bay has only heightened the risk. The men grow agitated, destroying not only Odysseus’ home but bullying everyone in their wake. While she has no proof he’s alive, Penelope does what she can to buy time for Odysseus, continually moving the goalpost for when she will select a new husband.
There’s a missed opportunity to present a more contemporary take on Penelope, who in the most traditional stories is admired for her virtue by staying loyal and pure in the hope of Odysseus’ return. But rumors persist that she is sneaking away at night and entertaining the men, with her son calling her “whore” out of frustration and anger. Penelope is a character with many old-fashioned ideas about womanhood attached to her, and The Return stays pretty faithful to the text when a rethink might’ve done the film some good.
Fiennes and Binoche aren’t called upon to carry a lot of dialog. Their performances are physical, seen in the weariness edged into their faces and carried on their hunched shoulders. Both actors are tremendous, but it isn’t enough to cover for the severe lack of tension and energy, to say nothing of mediocre performances by the supporting cast. Things pick up when Odysseus finally reveals himself, and The Return gets surprisingly brutal as the arrows start flying in defense of the woman he loves. With the action confined to a single room, Pasolini isn’t given the best scenario to show what he can do when capturing violence.
With blood still staining the floors, The Return reclaims its meditative stance as Penelope mourns the violence that has infected her home and inspired her husband and son. It’s an appropriately dignified conclusion for Pasolini’s handsome drama, but you’d be forgiven for wishing maybe just one Cyclops would’ve been fun, too.
Bleecker Street opens The Return in theaters on December 6th.
