THE RETURN Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Uberto Pasolini
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer, Marwan Kenzari, Angela Molina, Claudio Santamaria, Tom Rhys Harries, Amir Wilson, Ayman Al Aboud, Francesco Bianchi, Nicolas Retrivi, Bruno Cassandra, Cosimo Desii.
Uberto Pasolini’s The Return takes one of the final chapters in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey and gives it a fresh perspective. Homer’s poem told the story of Odysseus, the legendary warrior and Greek king who fought at Troy and then returned home twenty years later. In his absence though his kingdom had been laid waste through lawlessness and hunger.
Writers Pasolini, John Collee (Happy Feet, etc) and Edward Bond (who wrote the 1966 thriller Blow-Up, etc) strip away the mythology to transform the story into a more human one about ambition, power, family, loyalty, and the huge cost of warfare. They ground the film in a reality not found in the original text.
When the film opens Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) washes ashore at Ithaca, naked, bloodied, scarred and weakened. He is found by slave farmer Eumaeus (Claudio Santamaria), who nurses him back to health. Eumaeus recognises the king for who he is, and waits to see what he will do. Odysseus learns that his wife Penelope (Juliette Binoche) patiently awaits his return, refusing to believe that he is dead. She is being courted by a number of suitors eager to marry her and take control of the kingdom. Chief amongst them is the manipulative and power hungry Antinous (Marwan Kenzari, from Aladdin, etc).
Penelope though is concerned for the future of her petulant son Telemachus (Charlie Plummer, from Lean On Pete, etc), who only remains alive while she is unwed. Penelope realises that as soon as she marries Telemachus will be put to death, so she continues to stall making that important decision.
Odysseus has been left jaded, mentally and physically scarred and weary by years of war and he has seen too much bloodshed. He is also consumed by guilt at having survived the war while so many of his compatriots perished. He sits back amd observes what is happening in his kingdom before stepping up to reclaim his rightful place as ruler of Ithaca. It all ends, as do most Greek tragedies, with lots of death and bloodshed. The finale is bathed in blood.
Fiennes acquits himself well in a fairly physically demanding role, but he also conveys Odysseus’ frame of mind and his doubts and world-weary nature. The Return also reunites him with co-star Binoche for the first time since the Oscar winning 1996 film The English Patient. Binoche brings a certain dignity and grace to her performance as Penelope who is driven by grief, pain and a determination to protect Telemachus. Veteran Italian actress Angela Molina (The Man Who Bought The Moon, etc) plays Eurycleia, Odysseus’ mother and servant to Penelope, who recognises her son because of a scar on his leg, but she is sworn to secrecy while Odysseus plans his actions. The supporting ensemble features a multi-national cast.
Pasolini suffuses the material with a sombre mood and The Return is quite a bleak and violent tale. It has been shot by cinematographer Marius Panduru (Waterdrop, etc) and filmed on locations on the island of Corfu. His lensing gives the material an austere and grim tone. Production design and costumes capture the harsh conditions of the time.
★★★
