MOVIES AT LA PLAZA: THE RETURN-Go easy on the legend

Movie Review by Sergio Martínez

For the writer of this piece, the story of Ulysses and his return after battling in the Trojan War was the first encounter, as a teenager, with the fascinating saga of Greek mythology. The Odyssey, as told by Homer, transports us to that time when the gods seemed to enjoy putting all kinds of obstacles in the lives of humans. Certainly, they also do their part in unleashing many of these misfortunes upon themselves. Still, in the end, the hero will fight for the balance between justice, reward for loyalty, and persistence to be restored.

The film, directed by Uberto Pasolini, focuses on the final episode of the Odyssey when, after spending years at the mercy of the elements at sea, returning from Troy, and having dealt with monsters and other traps sometimes set by the gods themselves, Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) finally returns to his homeland, Ithaca. Still, he is no longer the same warrior as before. His kingdom has also changed: his wife, Queen Penelope (Juliette Binoche), is constantly besieged by suitors who want to become the new king. His son Telemachus (Charlie Plummer) also resents his father's absence, whom he hardly knew, and is in danger because he is an obstacle for his mother's suitors.

Despite all the omens that Odysseus should by then be dead, Penelope holds out hope that her husband is alive. The queen has said that she will choose her future husband once she finishes a weaving on which she toils during the day, only to undo it at night. However, no deadline is missed, and Penelope must finally decide. When she does, she devises a complex test of warrior skill that will reveal who will be chosen.

The Return, however, fails to convey the emotional tension that emanates from Penelope's wait and loyalty for the warrior's return and has many overlong scenes that don't add much to the drama, such as some of the skirmishes in which Telemachus is involved. What it succeeds in is conveying Odysseus' state of mind and portraying through him what the war was like and what its effects were. In today's language, one could say that the hero has returned but is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, a syndrome common today in many former combatants in wars. In a certain sense, the film can be qualified as a denunciation of war and its effects, both psychological and emotional, indirectly inflicted on others, in this case, on the wife and her son.

Running time: 116 min.