Avril Lavigne's hit song comes to mind. I'd have an entire essay on comment exchanges and, heck, tweets about why Interstellar eludes me so, like a dream I can't seem to fully recall completely its story beats! If I'm going for outright dream confusion, I'm going with Inception. I get the beats. And if you want a mind-eff, see The Prestige! I wonder your thoughts on: Oppenheimer (!!!), the various film iterations of The Odyssey (Fiennes, Assante), and on summer flick Troy. See Troy (sword n sandal popcorn summer indulgence), The Machinist (!), The Dark Knight (!!!), Memento (!), for more audience friendly (yet strange uncompromising) fare! Plus Wilson, I realize here, might go too far in simplifying her interpretive prose? A man can be internally complicated but have very few tricksy ways about him. He can be complicated but not wiley. At least now I know to stick with Fagles, for now.
Re Wilson, I'd argue that the simplicity of her prose/structure not only makes it infinitely more readable but it also restores some of the ambiguity that formed a key part of the original text. And I'm kicking myself for not including the Dark Knight trilogy, which I LOVED.
I’m new to your lovely Substack so I’m curious if you watched and commented on The Return. A very non-mythological (and not-quiteHomeric) version of the Odyssey but still quite engrossing. But Ralph Fiennes’s Odysseus feels closer to Emily Wilson’s complicated man. Also, in my modern Greek, when I hear “tropos” I only know it as one’s manner or type, like when my mom would ask about one of my friends: Ti tropos einai?
I saw "The Return" this past fall, starring Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus and Juliette Binoche as Penelope, and really enjoyed it. Ralph Fiennes, aged about 60 in real life, was all bronzed, bruised, battered, scarred, and knotty-muscled, looking as if he'd really spent ten years fighting the Trojan War and another ten years getting back home to Ithaca again. And Juliette Binoche was ... well, Juliette Binoche.
One thing I particularly liked about "The Return" was how the conclusion of the film--true to Homer's epic poem--made clear that every climactic showdown in every Western film, and every final shootout in a Clint Eastwood movie, can be traced back to that suspenseful throne-room scene with all Queen Penelope's grasping, would-be suitors present, where Odysseus. "with his virtuoso ease ... strung his mighty bow." And then, "gripping his bow and quiver bristling arrows ... poured his flashing shafts before him".
hey its literally me!
oh hello !!!!!
Polytropos is a cool word. How can I use it in a conversation?
I think you can use it like any old adjective, describing someone or yourself as polytropos i.e. much wandering/of many twists and turns.
omg excellenttttt
🥰🥰🥰
Avril Lavigne's hit song comes to mind. I'd have an entire essay on comment exchanges and, heck, tweets about why Interstellar eludes me so, like a dream I can't seem to fully recall completely its story beats! If I'm going for outright dream confusion, I'm going with Inception. I get the beats. And if you want a mind-eff, see The Prestige! I wonder your thoughts on: Oppenheimer (!!!), the various film iterations of The Odyssey (Fiennes, Assante), and on summer flick Troy. See Troy (sword n sandal popcorn summer indulgence), The Machinist (!), The Dark Knight (!!!), Memento (!), for more audience friendly (yet strange uncompromising) fare! Plus Wilson, I realize here, might go too far in simplifying her interpretive prose? A man can be internally complicated but have very few tricksy ways about him. He can be complicated but not wiley. At least now I know to stick with Fagles, for now.
Re Wilson, I'd argue that the simplicity of her prose/structure not only makes it infinitely more readable but it also restores some of the ambiguity that formed a key part of the original text. And I'm kicking myself for not including the Dark Knight trilogy, which I LOVED.
Then I shall have her back on the want-to-read list? Only way I'll know is to experience her style! 📖 📚
actually obsessed with your writing style & the way your brain works omg. also- barry keoghan for a death role
omg THANK YOU 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 and hard agree re Barry!!
this was so fun
yay!!!!
That guy looks like Agamemnon. And a teeeeeeny bit like a grumpy Menelaus.
the actor at the end? I can see that actually!! who would be his Clytemnestra...
Aha, him. I'd suggest Eva Green. There's something about her that just vibes Clytemnestra.
Oh she’d be SO. GOOD.
I’m new to your lovely Substack so I’m curious if you watched and commented on The Return. A very non-mythological (and not-quiteHomeric) version of the Odyssey but still quite engrossing. But Ralph Fiennes’s Odysseus feels closer to Emily Wilson’s complicated man. Also, in my modern Greek, when I hear “tropos” I only know it as one’s manner or type, like when my mom would ask about one of my friends: Ti tropos einai?
Ηomeric compound adjectives are mind-blowing:
Καλλιπλόκαμη νεράιδα (beautifully limbed fairy), πολυμήχανος Οδυσσέας (resourceful/ingenious Odysseas), κελαινεφής Ζευς (black-clouded/raged Zeus), φιλομμειδής Αφροδίτη (smile-a-lot Aphrodite), ποδήνεμος Ίρις (wind-feet Iris), ηυκόμοιος Eλένη (gorgeous-hair Helen), καλλιπάρηος Χρυσηίδα (good looking face Chrysiis), οίνωψ Πόντος (red/wine-like coloured sea, the colour of the sea during sunset) and so many more!
I saw "The Return" this past fall, starring Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus and Juliette Binoche as Penelope, and really enjoyed it. Ralph Fiennes, aged about 60 in real life, was all bronzed, bruised, battered, scarred, and knotty-muscled, looking as if he'd really spent ten years fighting the Trojan War and another ten years getting back home to Ithaca again. And Juliette Binoche was ... well, Juliette Binoche.
One thing I particularly liked about "The Return" was how the conclusion of the film--true to Homer's epic poem--made clear that every climactic showdown in every Western film, and every final shootout in a Clint Eastwood movie, can be traced back to that suspenseful throne-room scene with all Queen Penelope's grasping, would-be suitors present, where Odysseus. "with his virtuoso ease ... strung his mighty bow." And then, "gripping his bow and quiver bristling arrows ... poured his flashing shafts before him".