Reel Corner - September 2026
The Odyssey
September 2026 Issue
Reel Corner by Donne Paine
Set Sail for the Unexpected.
A Brief Summary of Greek Mythology
Greek mythology is a collection of ancient stories that explain the origins of the world, the lives of the gods, and the adventures of heroes. These myths were passed down for centuries by Bards (oral historians) and served to teach moral lessons.
At the center of Greek mythology is Zeus, the king of the Olympian gods. Zeus became ruler of Mount Olympus and was recognized as the god of the sky, thunder, justice, and order.
The Law of Zeus was a divine principle of justice and moral order. Zeus expected people to honor the gods, keep sacred oaths, respect strangers and guests (a custom known as Xenia), protect those seeking refuge, and treat others fairly. Pride, arrogance, and disrespect toward the gods—known as hubris—were considered serious offenses and were often punished.
Who Was Odysseus? Odysseus was the legendary king of Ithaca and one of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology. Best known in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, he was celebrated not only for his courage in battle, but also for his intelligence, resourcefulness, and cleverness.
Odysseus fought for ten years in the Trojan War, where he is credited with devising the famous Trojan Horse, a wooden horse used to secretly bring Greek soldiers into the city of Troy and win the war. After the victory, his journey home to Ithaca took another ten years as he encountered storms, monsters, enchantresses, and angry gods.
While Odysseus struggled to return home, his faithful wife, Penelope, remained loyal despite pressure from many suitors who believed he had died.
Odysseus is remembered as a complex, heroic character. Unlike many Greek warriors known primarily for physical strength, he relied on wisdom, strategy, perseverance, and determination. His story has endured for nearly 3,000 years because it explores universal themes of courage, loyalty, temptation, resilience, and the longing to return home.
The Odyssey (2026)
Starring: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Travis Scott,
Robert Pattinson, Corey Hawkins | Directed By: Christopher Nolan
This big-screen adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey is a bold, immersive three-hour epic which keeps the core of Homer’s poem, a film about homecoming—the hard, costly journey back to what matters most—as it highlights the moral and spiritual tests a man must pass along the way. This is an adventure film with lots of battles—many of them filmed on the high seas. Odysseus has won the Trojan War and is now heading home to Ithaca. Two themes recur with strong visual and emotional effect: the ancient code of hospitality (Xenia), framed here as Zeus’s law that protects guests and punishes transgressors, and the lotus effect—in which forgetfulness and complacency are shown as seductive, dangerous detours from one’s destiny.
Filmed across a handful of Mediterranean and North Atlantic sites, including Sicily, Morocco, Iceland, and Greece, the film relied far more on real ancient architecture than Computer Generated Images (CGI). The result is tangible, weathered, and often breathtaking—a world that feels ancient and lived-in rather than digitally manufactured. The ensemble cast is uniformly strong. Matt Damon puts on an incredible performance as Odysseus, but several smaller roles also caught The Reel Corner’s eye: John Leguizamo (Eumaeus), the white-haired elder, and Samantha Morton (Circe), the expert in potions, herbs, and witchcraft. Look for their names for supporting roles come award season.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Odyssey’s specifics, a little background reading, especially on the rules of guest-friendship and the lotus episode (Book 9 of Homer’s The Odyssey), will enrich your viewing, though it’s not strictly required.
The Odyssey is a high adventure adaptation—visually impressive, thematically rich, and driven by excellent performances. Whether you love Greek mythology or simply enjoy a finely made battle adventure-drama, this film is well worth three hours of your time.
References: www.imdb.com, The Odyssey by Homer, www.rottentomatoes.com
Donne Paine is a film enthusiast, nurse, mother, grandmother, and author whose love of movies began years ago when she lived near the Orson Welles Cinema in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has attended local and national film festivals, including Sundance, Toronto, and Tribeca, and she strongly believes in seeing films in theaters and supporting local movie houses. To help sustain her passion for movies, she works as a nurse consultant and instructor, and she is the author of Beyond the Basics: A Guide to Compassionate Caring, available on Amazon.