When he introduced the world premiere of “The Return” at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday night, director Uberto Pasolini pointed out that nobody has made a film adaptation of Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey” since 1955, when Italian director Mario Camerini made a version with Kirk Douglas as Odysseus (using the Roman version of his name, Ulysses). Pasolini skipped over a couple of other versions, as well as works by Theo Angelopoulos and the Coen brothers (“Ulysses’ Gaze” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” respectively) that borrowed elements from Homer’s tale, but the point remains: One of the first great works of Western literature is not marketable IP these days.
‘The Return’ Review: Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche Bring Grace and Gravity to This Ancient Greek Odyssey
TIFF 2024: Director Uberto Pasolini’s take on Homer’s epic poem is simultaneously visceral and contemplative
