18/27
After 20 years, Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, where he finds his wife imprisoned by scheming tyrants and his son facing death at their hands. To win back his family and everything he has lost, Odysseus must find his strength again. This is the third time Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche have starred together in a film. They previously worked together in Wuthering Heights (1992) and The English Patient (1996). Penelope: How can people find their way to war but not their way home? Odysseus: For some, war becomes home.. Focuses on immersion. The multiple pain and suffering of Penelope and Odysseus during Odysseus’ time as the viewer returns to Ithaca, this thesis felt like exploring the challenges that many soldiers face upon returning from active duty, including PTSD and other mental health issues, the reintegration into their former lives with family and society, the memories and pain endured and caused, and the resulting irreversible internal change in a very systematic way. . The Return is powered by a great cast to allow the viewer to experience this rollercoaster ride that sees the two main protagonists travel to considerable heights, the latter due to the unique and exceptional endurance of both Penelope and Odysseus during this difficult time in their lives. And without each other’s support. In fact, the two are kept somewhat distant through much of the build-up, which only makes the catharsis more powerful in the more intense, thriller-like later part of the slow-burning film. Fiennes brings his unique style of portraying suffering to this work – a great extension of his wonderful skill in portraying pain and agony from his previous works in Spider and The End of the Affair. Binoche is the perfect choice for Penelope, and the viewer can be somewhat tricked into thinking that the two will reunite, just as they were close throughout The English Patient, which Pasolini uses to create additional tension in this work. The memory of The English Patient is vivid. This is a great and very relevant work that must be experienced!
