The Return 2024 Movie Review

As a lover of Greek mythology and fantasy, I'm not entirely satisfied with a film that strips away these elements in favor of a purely human story with stronger historical roots. Uberto Pasolini's "The Return" is a well-made, beautifully acted, somewhat staid retelling of Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey," with no sirens or cyclops and no great sea adventures. You can watch The Return 2024 movie on Afdah movies.

Losing something great isn't automatically a bad thing, especially when you see Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche reunite as long-lost lovers Odysseus and Penelope. But it could also be said that this story of a war-torn husband returning to claim his kingdom lacks passion, excitement, and modern relevance.

Fortunately, Fiennes and Binoche are in the film. Let me say this: Fiennes is a total wreck. Is this what he looks like under his papal robes at the conclave? If the others found out, they'd make him Pope on the spot. Fiennes is lean and muscular, but battle-hardened in The Return, which begins after Odysseus is washed up naked and beaten on the shores of Ithaca. Years after the Trojan War, most believe he was either killed in battle or lost at sea. Some rumors say he lives on the island with another woman, perhaps a reference to the princess Nausicaa, a character who does not appear in Pasolini's very focused adaptation. Fiennes' Odysseus is a man torn apart by the war, both what he has seen and what he has done. He speaks earnestly of the soldiers he has lost, the Trojan Horse plan that would have brought his men to the gates of Troy, and how he burned the city and washed it away in rivers of blood. Rather than reveal his true identity as King of Ithaca, Odysseus poses as a poor beggar and witnesses his homeland being devastated in his absence.

Like Fiennes, Binoche's portrayal of Penelope is largely introspective, quiet and thoughtful. With her husband watching from the shadows, Penelope must contend with a host of dangerous suitors intent on taking advantage of her. They even threatened the life of her son, Telemachus, whom they saw as a threat to their ambitions. But keeping them in check only increases the risks. The men grow restless, and not only destroy Odysseus' house, but also harass everyone else in his entourage. With no proof that he is alive, Penelope does all she can to buy Odysseus time by continually putting off the choice of a new husband.

An opportunity was missed to present a more modern version of Penelope, who in the most traditional tales is praised for her virtue in remaining faithful and pure in the hope of Odysseus' return, but persistent rumors persist that she sneaks out at night to entertain men, leading her son, in frustration and anger, to call her a "whore."

Missed here is the more modern Penelope, whose virtues are celebrated in the most traditional stories for remaining faithful and pure in the hope of Odysseus's return. But rumors persist that she sneaks out at night to entertain men, leading her son, in frustration and anger, to call her a "whore." Penelope is a character with many old-fashioned ideas about femininity, and while The Return is fairly faithful to the text, a rethinking would have benefited the film.

Fiennes and Binoche don't need much dialogue; their performances are physical, as evidenced by the fatigue on their faces and the weight of their slouched shoulders. Both actors are fine, but it's not enough to make up for a serious lack of excitement and energy, not to mention the mediocre performances of the supporting cast. Things accelerate when Odysseus finally reveals himself, and arrows begin to fly as he tries to protect the woman he loves, making The Return surprisingly brutal. The action is confined to a single space, so it doesn't provide the best scenario for what Pasolini is capable of when it comes to capturing violence.

With blood still staining the ground, The Return resumes its contemplative stance as Penelope descends upon her home and mourns the violence that inspired her husband and son. It's a dignified ending befitting Pasolini's great drama, but one may wish the Cyclops had been interesting enough.