48/18
After 20 years, Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, where he finds his wife imprisoned by suitors vying for the throne, and his son in danger of death. To reclaim his family and all he has lost, Odysseus must rediscover his strength. 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 Men Can Find Their Way to War, But Not Their Way Home Odysseus: For Some, War Becomes Home. Focusing on immersing the viewer in the multifaceted pain and suffering of Penelope and Odysseus as Odysseus returns home to Ithaca, this treatise explores the challenges faced by many soldiers in a rather systematic way. returning from active duty, including PTSD and other mental health issues, reintegration into one’s former life with family and society, and the flashbacks of memories and pain experienced and created, as well as the irreversible internal changes that result. The Return relies on a great cast to allow the viewer to experience this roller coaster ride, with both main characters reaching remarkable heights, the latter thanks to the unique and special resilience of both Penelope and Odysseus during this difficult time in their lives. and without the support of the other. In fact, the two are kept quite separate for most of the build-up, which only makes the catharsis stronger in the most intense, thriller-like, later part of the film, which burns more slowly. Fiennes brings his unique style of portraying suffering to this work – a great extension of his wonderful skills from his neighboring depictions of pain and suffering in The Spider and The End of the Affair. Binoche is the perfect choice for Penelope because the viewer could be tricked a little into feeling and hoping that the two would reunite in the same way that they were close throughout The English Patient, and Pasolini uses this to create additional tension in this work for those who have vivid memories of The English Patient. It is a great and very relevant work that must be experienced!