Mr. Kuhn’s English 10 and 11 classes have been subjected to viewing Troy: Odyssey.
Troy: Odyssey is one of the many film adaptations of Homer’s epic poems. Homer was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the most revered and influential authors. The movie was produced in 2017 and released on October 15, 2017. It’s a relatively short film, at one hour and 30 minutes, and features a cast including Dylan Vox, Lara Heller, and Hachem Hicham.
The movie tells the story of Odysseus’s journey home after the Trojan War. After the fall of Troy, Odysseus sets sail for his home in Ithaca, but his journey is far from straightforward. Challenges, including battling the monstrous Cyclops, encountering sirens, and even traveling to the Underworld occur, the film also features a Trojan warrior woman named Circe, whom Odysseus and his men take with them, knowing that the curse on Odysseus won’t affect a Trojan. Back in Ithaca, Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, is ambushed by men who are fighting for her hand and pushing for her to choose a new husband. Odysseus eventually returns to Ithaca, faces his suitors, restores his kingdom, and reunites with his wife and son.
While some enjoy the movie, most do not. Some students describe it as a, “100 dollar budget movie,” or, “Troy: The Fart Movie.” One student states that she does not enjoy the movie very much and would prefer the Troy (2004) movie featuring Brad Pitt. “Why is the timeline of the movie wrong? In the book, I’m pretty sure the Cyclops is first. I really hate that about it. Plus the acting is just really bad. The CGI is trash and the acting is trash. It’s all trash,” exclaims Harley Mader.
Though the movie isn’t very high quality and action filled as most would like,it isn’t so bad for some students. “I personally enjoy the movie somewhat. I mean I’d rather watch a movie than do work in Kuhn’s class any given day. Don’t get me wrong, the movie isn’t the greatest, but it is tolerable. I feel like if they would have had a better budget and been more accurate to the story it would be a lot better of a movie,” states Hudsyn Humble.
While opinions differ from student to student, the overall feeling of the movie is that it is low budget and most will not be viewing it on their own time. Even if the students do not enjoy the movie they are all thankful that Mr. Kuhn isn’t making them dowrite essays or read another book.