I have yet to read The Odyssey in full, but I first came across the story when I was 8 years old. I had a hard cover book with stories from around the world and one of those stories just happened to be an excerpt from The Odyssey. So I knew about the Cyclops and pretty much nothing else.

And though I have more extensive knowledge of The Odyssey, Homer and Ancient Greece in general. For the purpose of this review, I will treat this movie as its own story, separate from the stories that inspired the adaptation.

And from a modern perspective, it becomes very clear that the fates that befell the crew, Agamemnon and even the suitors were an act of karmic justice. Sure, they all had gory endings but it was their actions that put them on that path. And unfortunately, the very choices that led to their horrific endings were made long before the start of the story.

So while it may initially seem as though they are just the latest victims of fickle and vengeful gods, they are very much facing their just desserts.

The Hubris Of Man

The fact of the matter is, the Trojan horse was a desecration of the values of society. Rather than end the war honourably, they used underhanded methods to violate the impregnable city. And once they were assured of their own victory, they used their newfound advantage to rape and murder innocent civilians, desecrate the temple of Athena and burn the city to the ground.

And if Helen is to be believed, and I do believe her, it had more to do with Agamemnon’s greed for power than the offence given to Menelaus. And regardless, the people within the city had very little to do with Paris’ stupidity. They were the victims of circumstances. They did nothing to deserve the fates they received. And it’s extremely entitled to assume that the men (under Agamemnon) could’ve committed all those atrocities and received no punishment in return.

Odysseus’ men had numerous chances to save themselves. They were the ones who repeatedly invaded foreign lands and entered peoples’ homes without hesitance. They were warned not to eat the Sun God’s herd and they did so anyway.

This is one of those stories where I don’t live in any fear of receiving the fates of the characters. Because I would never be so stupid, nor would I ever put myself in that situation.

Truth be told, I felt sadder for the city of Troy and for Penelope than I did for Odysseus or his men. I could only think about what they had done to the people of the city they attacked. And while I fully have compassion for Odysseus being taken advantage of by Calypso, and can believe he truly did not rape any woman during his conquest, the same cannot be said for his men. I know they did horrific things that were never shown onscreen.

I Don’t Feel Sorry For Agamemnon, He Had What Was Coming To Him

Agamemnon was not simply a caring man who wanted to take revenge for his brother’s sake. He was a power hungry king who, despite having countless under his command, was still not satisfied. He sacrificed his own flesh and blood: he killed his own daughter for favourable winds. When he could’ve very easily pulled out of the war and told his brother to handle his own issues.

And yes, I understand a huge part of this is to save face. Even if Menelaus did not truly love his wife, it was still a grave insult for a foreign prince to steal her from him. But that’s entirely the point. The war was driven by ego and a lust to come out on top. Agamemnon did not care how many he sacrificed so long as he got to win in the end.

But in the end, he never got to enjoy the fruits of his own labour. By committing crimes against his own family, in allowing his ego to get the better of him, he ensured his own death. There was no world in which he could take a mother’s child from her and expect no retributions when he returned to her arms.

Agamemnon had it coming. I feel sorry for Clytemnestra. She lost two children: one was murdered and the other killed her. And I feel sorry for Helen. She was a pawn in the games of men. She had no say in where she went and she was punished nonetheless. But the worst part? She will forever be remembered as Helen of Troy but she is not of Troy. She is Helen of Sparta and she deserved more than to be a piece in their game.

Final Thoughts

I definitely recommend the movie but I don’t think I’ll watch it again. Recently, I haven’t had the same desire to watch sad stories. And unfortunately, the moment you start seeing all the characters who died as people with thoughts, feelings and wants, you stop being able to enjoy the movie.

I’m really starting to hate senseless death. And I know the deaths are the entire point of this particular story but if it hadn’t been all over my Instagram, I probably wouldn’t have watched the movie.

Even the ending doesn’t seem particularly satisfying to me. Because you know they’re still going to suffer the consequences of their actions. The Greek dark ages are coming and the written language will soon be lost.

Nothing will ever be as it was. Least of all for the innocent who lost their lives just because of where they happened to live.