Gorgeous but self-serious, ‘The Odyssey’ is at sea thanks to its own bleakness

Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated Greek mythology adaptation, “The Odyssey” is available in a variety of formats, including IMAX, 70mm (which the Coolidge is offering), and 35mm. Regardless of your choice, you’ll bear witness to cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema’s stunning shots of landscapes, battles, and the occasional acts of gods like Zeus and Poseidon.

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Spectacle is the order of the day. Nolan attempts to revive the type of expensive, lavish Hollywood epic that began in the silent era with “Ben-Hur” and Cecil B. DeMille. The spirit of DeMille, the grandmaster of such epics, is evoked more than once here. At least Norma Desmond’s favorite director gave viewers an intermission so their bladders wouldn’t explode during his three-hour epics. DeMille also knew that a little humor goes a long way to undercut the bleakness of a dark story, something Nolan hasn’t used since Heath Ledger’s Joker.

Universal is promoting this film as a return to spectacle: An enormous model of the Trojan horse stood outside of the Manhattan theater where I attended the IMAX version of “The Odyssey.” You could see it from blocks away. The prop harkened back to the debuts of movies like “The Ten Commandments” at Grauman’s Chinese Theater; it’s a piece of advertising that calls attention to itself and its product. I wouldn’t be surprised if, on opening day, a bunch of people fell out of it onto Broadway. Though considering the current heat wave, those folks aren’t going to be happy.

Like I said: Spectacle.

Nolan takes us inside the movie’s Trojan horse just before the invasion, giving us a peek into the logistics of packing so many soldiers inside. (The often muffled sound mix sounds like he recorded the movie in the horse as well.) The famous battle for Troy is doled out in flashbacks, as is much of the film. You can tell where you are in the timeline by Matt Damon’s beard. Your Boston buddy plays Odysseus, whose 20-year quest to be reunited with his beloved Penelope (Anne Hathaway) forms the backbone of Homer’s poem.

The words “A time of apparent magic” are the first image we see before crash landing on the beach where the Trojan horse is buried halfway in sand. From there, the film introduces us to other characters before Odysseus makes his grand entrance. Odysseus’s son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), wonders about the fate of the father he doesn’t remember. He’s mentored by Eumaeus (John Leguizamo), a faithful servant of his father who, despite his blindness, also serves as an enforcer. Eumaeus owns a raggedy old dog whose love of Odysseus won’t let him give up the ghost until the great man returns.

We also meet the Ithacan suitor, Antinous (Robert Pattinson), one of the many men trying to win Queen Penelope’s hand while she awaits the return of Odysseus. Antinous was supposed to join the soldiers in the Trojan war, but he’s left behind in favor of Sinon (Elliot Page), a child at the time. Now, he sits among the others who have invaded Penelope’s home, awaiting the moment she finishes her husband’s burial shroud.

Antinous is the primary human villain in “The Odyssey.” But Odysseus doesn’t know what’s going on back home. He has his hands full with Sirens, witches, a Cyclops, the beguiling immortal Calypso (Charlize Theron), and the wrath of Poseidon, god of the sea. Since much of this odyssey is sea-based, there are ample Poseidon adventures.

In Odysseus’s corner is Athena, to whom he prays often. Occasionally, she pops up in the guise of Zendaya. Nolan does little with these moments, because the director fails to make Odysseus human enough for us to care about his plight. A desperate man visited by the god he worships should have more emotional power. Damon does his best, and it’s a respectable effort.

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However, there are enough distractions to keep most viewers from dwelling on this level of emptiness. Especially if you’re familiar with the source material. The recreations of the most familiar plot points are what keep “The Odyssey” barreling forward. The Trojan horse’s journey, and its opening, are presented in impressive widescreen compositions. The climactic battle that accompanies Odysseus’s return to Ithaca provides an endless supply of men to be slaughtered.

And the monsters you remember are here as well. Bill Irwin stands out as the Cyclops. His expertise as a vaudeville clown and a choreographer influences his every movement, giving the man-eating monster a soul. It’s Kubrickian that the most moving character in “The Odyssey” is one of its most murderous; the Cyclops is this movie’s HAL.

Also memorable is Samantha Morton, who bursts onscreen as the witch, Circe, and takes over the movie. Circe is not what she seems at first to Odysseus’s men. Her righteous rage erupts with a fierce lecture and scenes of body horror that might make you swear off pork for a few days.

Morton’s role is in stark contrast to Lupita Nyong’o, who isn’t given much to do. She’s Helen of Troy, the character whose face launched a thousand ships, and whose casting launched 10.000 racist tweets. Nyong’o also plays Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra. She gets a good scene of murderous vengeance, but she’s ultimately wasted.

Hathaway brings some emotional shading to the thankless role of Penelope, a woman whose life is nothing but pining for the return of a man everyone thinks is dead (but is actually on an island having sex with Charlize Theron). The scenes between Penelope and Telemachus flesh out both characters.

As with “Oppenheimer,” I find myself on the fence. On the plus side is Nolan’s ability to direct large scale scenes with credible efficiency. Morton, Leguizamo, Irwin, and Page are memorable. Pattinson has fun channeling Roddy McDowell’s snarky performance in “Cleopatra.” But like that epic flop, “The Odyssey” takes itself too seriously. The film ultimately sinks under its bleakness like a lead balloon. I was less stirred by its closing moments of regret and reflection; I was more relieved that I could finally use the john.

★★½

THE ODYSSEY

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, John Leguizamo, Samantha Morton, Elliot Page, Lupita Nyong’o. At Coolidge Corner, AMC Boston Common, Landmark Kendall Square, Alamo Drafthouse Seaport, AMC Causeway, suburbs. 172 minutes. R (violence, one instance of pardoning a Greek’s French)

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