Even the greatest mythological stories are rooted in the human experience. And The Return is proof of this.
In The Return, the viewer is transported into an ancient world in peril. Set twenty years since the famed Trojan Wars, Ithaca is now a city waiting for leadership. After the disappearance of her husband, Odysseus, Queen Penelope is being pursued to take on a suitor in order to stabilize the kingdom. Even her son, Telemachus, appears to have given up on his father’s return but Penelope holds out hope. However, after Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) returns, he is overwhelmed by the devastation to his kingdom. Burdened by his own pain, he attempts to hide his identity while he tries to decide what he must do next.
Directed by Uberto Pasolini, The Return is a strongly written, revisionist take on Homer’s Odyssey. While the changes from the source material can be felt, Pasolini ensures that the characters (and performances) rise to the challenge. Strong work by the reunited Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes help provide the backdrop for a story that wants to delve into the heart of a warrior as opposed to remain at the tip of his blade.
In a lot of ways, one has to respect what The Return is trying to accomplish. It’s always a challenge to reframe a mythological story from a more grounded perspective and that’s certainly what Pasolini is attempting to accomplish here. Gone are references to the mighty gods, replaced by human frailty and challenges. As such, Return feels like a distant cousin to Scott’s Gods and Kings, where the director attempted to minimize God in the Biblical story of Moses. Nevertheless, whereas Kings felt empty inside, Return manages to maintain a sense of purpose.
Unlike Homer’s Odyssey, The Return isn’t about reclaiming glory. It’s far more about self-understanding. Pasolini keeps the story feeling small and, arguably, more intimate. While there are moments of bloodshed, there are no wars on a massive scale. Stories of the Trojan Wars happened long ago and Pasolini never brings us onto the battlefield. Many of the key plot points remain yet this isn’t a grand story of victory. Instead, this is a tale of one man’s battle within himself after a moment of heavy loss.
In this film, Odysseus is a man who was.
Having returned to Ithaca, he appears unrecognizable to those around him—and he’d like to keep it that way. With each story of the great leader Odysseus, the now-bereft former king feels greater shame. After all, Odysseus the Legend is more than the broken man that stands before them.
But therein lies his great conflict. He yearns to reclaim his life and his family. But he remains buried under the weight of dishonour. Emotionally broken, Odysseus’ mind is riddled with questions. Has his wife moved on without him? How does one deal with the corruption that sits in his stead? What of his son, who barely knows his father?
And, most importantly, what does it mean to be Odysseus?
Rather than highlight the glory of victory, Pasolini attempts to use Homer’s epic to delve into the nature of masculine psychology. While he still has the penchant for violence, he wishes to become something else. But, if he does change, will anyone still want him? In these moments, Fiennes excels. He brings the necessary gravitas to Pasolini’s film that keeps it moving. This is a story about a king who has lost the crown and isn’t sure if he’s worthy to carry it further. As such, Fiennes brings out the great burden upon (and within) Odysseus, revealing his humanity in a world that associates masculinity with violence and aggression.
Having said this though, one can’t help but yearn for some of the supernatural that made this story special. While the film works on a human level, part of the grand nature of Homer’s Odyssey was the interaction between the gods and man. Certainly, Pasolini was wise to avoid the sillier direction taken by films like Wrath of the Titans or Gods of Egypt. However, one can’t help but miss the aspects of the Odyssey that made it such a grand epic.
Even so, this Return is strong enough to join in the journey. Fiennes and Binoche are always entertaining together and they keep the film grounded in the midst of its political turmoil. One may wish that there was a little more magic in this mythological world but its story of the human experience drives it forward.
The Return is available in theatres on Friday, December 6th, 2024.
