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The Return (2024 film)
The Return is a 2024 drama film directed by Uberto Pasolini and starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. The film is a retelling of the last sections of Homer's Odyssey as adapted by Edward Bond, John Collee, and Pasolini. It premiered in the Gala section at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2024, and was theatrically released on December 6, 2024, in the United States by Bleecker Street. PlotFollowing introductory on-screen words about himself and the Trojan War, Odysseus washes up naked on the shores of his home island Ithaca after twenty years fighting in and returning from the War. Scarred mentally and physically by his experiences, he is unrecognizable from the mighty warrior-king that left decades before. His wife Penelope is now a prisoner in her own palace, hounded by many suitors to choose a new husband that would take the throne. Odysseus and Penelope's son Telemachus is facing death at the hands of those who see him as a threat to their ambitions. Odysseus is forced to face his past in order to save his family and win back that which he has lost.[3] Penelope weaves her elderly father-in-law's burial shroud on her loom, he being close to death. She tells her crude, greedy suitors she will not choose one of them until the shroud is woven. However, every night she partially unweaves the shroud. Penelope often catches her maids having sex with the suitors. The suitors harass Telemachus, who never knew his father. Two suitors find a man in the sea, but say no more suitors are needed, so throw him back. Back on land, the same suitors go hunting a girl; finding her absent from her lover's tent, they rape and kill him. A chief suitor, well-dressed Antinous, presses Penelope to marry, but she refuses. Swineherd Eumaeus discovers Odysseus ashore and brings him home. Dispirited Odysseus relates the horrors of the War, which linger with him constantly. Odysseus's father dies; the suitors press Penelope to marry, insisting Odysseus is dead too. She says she will make the shroud her wedding gown, but says she will choose a suitor soon, privately wondering how long she will survive that. Eumaeus takes Odysseus to the palace; Odysseus's dog recognizes him. He calls himself an old War soldier and begs for food; most suitors abuse him. They force him to fight a huge man, but Odysseus kills him. Penelope speaks to Odysseus, but ends up sending him off. However, Odysseus's old nursemaid, Eurycleia, discovers his identity while bathing him, feeling a scar behind his leg. He bids her be silent. Telemachus, who sailed to another port and faced danger even there, returns to mortal threat; the suitors hunt him with dogs. Odysseus runs into him as two suitors approach, but Telemachus will not stop talking, so Odysseus knocks him out, then kills the two suitors. Odysseus, Telemachus, Eumaeus, and friends flee behind a pool of water, which throws the hounds off their scent. Telemachus is not happy to discover Odysseus is his father, who did not return for decades despite the worsening economic and political situation on Ithaca, and Odysseus's failure to bring Ithacan warriors home, but resigns himself to it. Antinous discovers Penelope unraveling her weaving, and forces a decision. Odysseus's crew hears Penelope will be deciding the next day. They go to the palace. Penelope tells the suitors her choice is to make them compete with Odysseus's old bow, seeing if they can shoot an arrow through multiple axe-heads' holes as he did. None of the suitors can even string the bow. Odysseus offers to try, strings it, and shoots the arrow through the axe-heads. He then shoots the suitors, who panic. Loyal servants close the doors to prevent escape. When his arrows run out, he remorselessly kills the suitors in hand-to-hand combat. Telemachus is tempted to flee, but helps his father fight. Antinous surrenders, and Penelope, desirous of peace and tired of male violence, bids Telemachus let him live, but he kills him, horrifying his mother. Telemachus insists on sailing away to find himself and his destiny. Odysseus sees Penelope uses an unfamiliar bed; he ascends to a hidden room and finds their old bed, which she had sealed away after he left for the War. Penelope tells Odysseus that she has much to tell him; Odysseus replies he will do the same. She says they have much to forget in order to move on; they conclude that they first must remember what happened, then they can forget. An image of Odysseus's blood washed away in a basin is followed by an image of Telemachus's ship at sail on the sea. Cast
ProductionDevelopmentThe project was announced in April 2022. The script for the film was written by John Collee and Edward Bond. The film's director, Uberto Pasolini, and James Clayton produced the film. HanWay Films began handling international sales and took the project to the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.[5] In February 2023 Bleecker Street were announced to have picked up North American rights and have Andrew Karpen and Kent Sanderson executive producing on the project. Roberto Sessa for Picomedia with Rai Cinema, Giorgos Karnavas and Konstantinos Kontovravkis for Heretic and Stéphane Moatti, Romain Le Grand, Vivien Aslanian and Marco Pacchioni for Kabo Films and Marvelous Production were also revealed as producers on the Italy-U.S.-Greece-U.K.-France co-production.[6] CastingThe film marks the third time Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche have appeared together following the 1996 Oscar winner The English Patient and 1992's Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights.[7] In February 2023, Charlie Plummer and Marwan Kenzari were added to the cast.[8][9] FilmingThe film began production in Greece in the spring of 2023, with principal photography in the regions of Corfu and the Peloponnese, before continuing on to locations in Italy.[10] Filming had wrapped in Corfu by June 2023.[11] ReleaseIn July 2024, The Return was announced as part of the Gala section at the Toronto International Film Festival scheduled for September 2024.[12] The film was theatrically released on December 6, 2024, in the United States by Bleecker Street.[13] It was featured in the Limelight section of the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam to be screened in February 2025.[14] ReceptionOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 78% of 55 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Return removes the mythology from Odysseus' homecoming along with some of the fun, but Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche's terrific performances keep this drama absorbing."[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[16] Katie Walsh in the Los Angeles Times calls the movie "an acting showcase",[17] with Jeannette Catsoulis in the New York Times also praising strong performances by Fiennes and Binoche.[18] Reviewers, including Corey Atad in the Toronto Star, noted the Shakespearean quality of the drama.[19] References
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