Binoche and Fiennes Talk Pasoliniā€™s New Odyssey-Inspired Movie

by Pelican Press
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Binoche and Fiennes Talk Pasoliniā€™s New Odyssey-Inspired Movie

Ralph Fiennes, Konstantinos Kontovrakis, Juliette, Binoche, Uberto Pasolini at The Return Photocall in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Ralph Fiennes, Konstantinos Kontovrakis, Juliette, Binoche, Uberto Pasolini at The Return Photocall in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Uberto Pasoliniā€™s movie The Return is a re-telling of the final chapter of Homerā€™s Odyssey. Above: Ralph Fiennes, Konstantinos Kontovrakis, Juliette Binoche, Uberto Pasolini Greece. Credit: Thessaloniki International Film Festival

ā€œThe English patientā€ and ā€œWuthering Heightsā€ co-stars Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes meet again as another iconic on-screen couple, this time incarnating Odysseus and Penelope in Uberto Pasoliniā€™s new movie, ā€œThe Returnā€, described as an out-of-the-box re-telling of the last rhapsody of Homerā€™s epic, The Odyssey.

Following a world first at Toronto in September, the movie had its Greek premiere at Thessaloniki International Film Festival on Saturday, in the presence of the director and the lead actors, who answered questions during a press conference moderated by the Festivalā€™s head of programming, Yorgos Krassakopoulos.

The previous day, Binoche and Fiennes had received honorary Golden Alexander awards for being ā€œnot just great actors, but also two courageous explorers of human feelings, pioneers of their art, genuine narrators of unique stories,ā€ as explained by the Festivalā€™s Artistic Director, Orestis Andreadakis.

Work in progress for thirty years

ā€œThe Returnā€ director Uberto Pasolini disclosed that he had been thinking about making a movie on the Odyssey for thirty years until he finally approached the starring duo with a proposal.

ā€œThat is to say, 10 years longer than it took Odysseus to battle in Troy, to embark on his return, to engage in love affairs with the Mediterraneanā€™s most beautiful women, to kill 108 suitors, at least according to Homer, and at last, end up within Penelopeā€™s arms. In our film we had to murder far fewer men, Iā€™d like for that to be noted,ā€ the director joked.

ā€œWhen I was invited to join Odysseusā€™s ā€œdance,ā€ I went along. It was all very beautiful: the writing, the dialogues and, of course, the idea of working with Ralph again,ā€ Binoche commented.

Fiennes pointed out that the movie script held no surprises, as the Odyssey was a story he had known since he was a child, but he had to understand the directorā€™s version which focused on the heroā€™s inner struggle.

ā€œUberto has managed to imbue his characters with psychological depth, offering us a beautiful challenge,ā€ the acclaimed actor said.

Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche receive honorary Golden Alexander awards.
Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche receive honorary Golden Alexander awards. Credit: Thessaloniki International Film Festival

Filming in Greece for Pasoliniā€™s Odyssey movie

Filming for ā€œThe Returnā€ took place primarily on Corfu and in the Peloponnese, aided by Greek co-producer Kostantinos Kontovrakis, who found it ā€œincredibly important for a Greek producer to have the opportunity to make a movie based on the Odyssey epic, and to preserve the values keeping it relevant and timely.ā€

Working with Pasolini, Fiennes and Binoche was ā€œa dream come trueā€ for him.

For the leading duo, it was very important to visit the Greek locations before filming, in order to get to know the people and familiarize with the process.

ā€œIā€™ve been to Ithaca twice, it is a place that exudes such a powerful energy,ā€ said Fiennes.Ā The actor has traveled extensively in Greece, especially in the Peloponnese.

ā€œI find your country exceptional. There is a tremendous energy that I can identify with, which you can find on the islands, in its seas and landscapes, in its topography and mountains. Powerful spirits dwell over there. I experience a similar feeling on the west coast of Ireland,ā€ Fiennes shared.

The acclaimed actor saw ā€œThe Returnā€ as a profound experience. In his own words, ā€œsome roles are literally impossible to describe.ā€

Ralph Fiennes greets fans ahead of The Return screening in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Ralph Fiennes greets fans as he arrives for The Return screening in Thessaloniki, Greece. Credit: Thessaloniki International Film Festival

Odysseusā€™ inner struggle put on screen

ā€œThe Returnā€ has been from the start the story of a family reunion, according to Pasolini.

ā€œMost of all, it is an odyssey of the mind and spirit, not a literal journey. This is the real inner struggle of Odysseus, and as the script evolved, more emphasis was placed on the inner conflicts and problems of the family. We focused more on the people rather than the myths,ā€ he stated.

Fiennes describes his role of Odysseus as a man who painstakingly arrives home after much suffering, unsure if he can stay: ā€œA man who is mentally shattered by all the hardships of the journey, an inner journey that goes through Penelope, with whom he is at a tragic impasse, as they are unable to reconnect after all they have been through.ā€

ā€œAll of us, in one way or another, are seeking our very own personal Ithaca. Odyssey speaks to us all about the struggle to return. We are all on a journey and return is the question we carry within us,ā€ he reflected on the deeper meaning of the movie.

For Binoche, the long-awaited return to Ithaca is irrespective of the form it may take or the meaning it may hold for each person. To her, teaming up with Ralph Fiennes ā€“ in what she believes, judging by age, could consist their last film together ā€“ and having been able to turn Uberto Pasoliniā€™s vision into reality, was landing up at a personal Ithaca.

Homeric Penelopeā€™s similarities to a modern woman

Despite the fact that The Odyssey was written more than 2,600 years ago, its most iconic female character, Penelope, a universal symbol of spousal love and fidelity, draws more similarities to a modern woman than one would imagine.

For Juliette Binoche, Penelopeā€™s greatest challenge was maintaining her mental health.

ā€œPenelope faces a nightmare day in and day out, pretending that everything is fine. She is much more complicated than a woman who is just awaiting her husbandā€™s return. She must employ a cunning way to deal with the dark side of humanity. You never confront the devil face to face, but sideways. And thus, she manages to deal with a situation that would otherwise destroy her,ā€ she observes.

Answering what her role as Penelope adds to the image of the modern woman, Binoche said that is ā€œa deeply personal matter,ā€ which resonates with different kinds of women, in a variety of ways.

Juliette Binoche arriving for The Return screening in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Juliette Binoche arriving for The Return screening in Thessaloniki, Greece. Credit: Thessaloniki International Film Festival

ā€œPenelope, even as an archetype, is a very modern woman. She embarks on her own journey and comes face to face with what it means to have faith. The patience required of this woman is immense,ā€ the French star commented.

ā€œIf we try to form parallels between the story and todayā€™s standards, we would say it is an attempt of coordinating and bringing together our feminine and masculine sides, but also an attempt to return to the essence, to the heart of ourselves, to home. As such, although a classic work, it remains more contemporary than ever,ā€ Binoche stressed.

Odysseyā€™s multiple interpretations reflected in movie

Pasolini added to Binocheā€™s remarks on her heroine that Homerā€™s works are open to multiple interpretations, and, from a feminist standpoint, there are two ways to interpret it.

ā€œThe first is that Penelope is a woman submissive in nature, while the second, which makes more sense to me, is that Penelope is a woman who makes her choices. Penelope is in charge of what is going on in the island. She has the power to make decisions, she changes the course of events, she is a woman fully capable of taking on responsibilities,ā€ the director believes.

On the subject of distractions in Odysseusā€™ journey, Pasolini argued that for the hero, the main internal struggle has to do with violence:Ā ā€œAlthough a man who avoids and abhors violence, Odysseus eventually confronts the obligation to turn to itā€.

On Fiennesā€™ opinion, ā€œitā€™s a terrible violation of his humanity, hiding within it a relentless question: when is it okay to utilize violence in order to get what you want?ā€

ā€œBy the finale, we all want him to get his house back from the suitors, who are the representation of the malevolent forces trying to grasp something that doesnā€™t belong to them. Odysseus knows he must resort to violence. I often return to the text of the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna speaks to the warrior prince Arjuna about his sacred duty to fight. Our destiny and our destination are always greater than the small battles that scare us. I believe that Odysseus too must enter this zone of violence to complete his sacred duty,ā€ the on-screen Odysseus concluded.

ā€œThe Returnā€ will be released in Greek theaters by Rosebud 21 on November 28, and in the U.S.A. on December 6, by Bleecker Street.



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