Fifty Before '50: George Melies THE ODYSSEY

 by JB

I am about to save you both time and money.

Would it surprise you to learn that early filmmaker/magician George Melies filmed an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem in 1905, a full 121 years before Christopher Nolan? Well, he did... and I am here today to sing this much shorter film’s praises.

You can watch Melies’ film here, for FREE:

What you get with the Melies’ film: 1) The Calypso episode and the Cyclops Polyphemus episode. No ups, no extras; 2) A main character, Odysseus, played by writer/director George Melies himself; 3) The gist of just that part of the narrative; 4) Somewhere between $13 and $27 dollars to keep in your own pocket where it belongs; 5) 170 minutes of your life back to do whatever you choose. Say what you will, Melies does not waste his audience’s time. Melies knows that in this modern era (Era.) audience members have plenty of other things to do.

What you DON’T get with the Melies’ film: 1) IMAX or IMAX 70mm projection; 2) Color; 3) Sound; 4) The sweep on the entire epic poem; 5) A night out on the town; 6) The ability to know exactly what everyone else is talking about when they discuss the film this week; 7) Big star performances from the likes of Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and John Bernthal; 8) Story elements including Penelope’s other suitors while husband Odysseus is away, the iconic Trojan horse sequence, anything involving the witch Circe turning Odysseus’s men into pigs, any prophecies of Tiresias, anything involving Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Iphigenia, Artemis, or Hades, anything involving Penelope giving up on Odysseus and declaring she will marry whoever can string Odysseus's bow and shoot an arrow through a row of axe heads (A girl has to have her standards.), and SPOILER ALERT: Nothing involving Odysseus ceding his throne to Telemachus, leaving Ithaca with Penelope to seek peace in exile, and sailing west to honor the dead.

I’d say it’s about even. Join the rest of humanity in lining up for Nolan’s film, or just watch this handy YouTube video and slink back to your domicile to enjoy some delicious Kraft Macaroni and Cheese? The choice is yours.