Who among you doesn’t remember the Odyssey, the Homeric poem that narrates Ulysses’ incredible journey back to Ithaca, his homeland? He sails through a world with bizarre creatures, at the mercy of gods who seem to toy with human existence. Then there’s Nolan’s Ulysses. He narrates a different kind of journey, undertaken with the mind of a modern man, through the depths of the soul. It doesn’t matter if the narrative isn’t faithful in some places or if the locations don’t match exactly. Because a journey, as we know, has many nuances; it’s a small revolution that begins first within us.
Your heart flees elsewhere, and your mind could not help but follow.
Calipso
The meaning of the journey for Ulysses
If in Homer’s Ulysses the journey is an adventure that leads the protagonist to dock in various places, through various stages, Nolan’s does the same. But the monsters and creatures of his journey are allegorical representations of an inner journey aimed at overcoming the trauma of the massacre perpetrated by the Achaeans against the Trojans, for which he feels responsible, a metaphor for the violation of rights and loyalty in our day.
For this reason, Ulysses’s journey is no longer supported solely by his cunning, but rather by his remorse, by the ghosts of his memory, which always manage to grip him, no matter how far he travels. The path becomes a line, a means, a sort of conduit to atone for and destroy the weight of his sins, and it is only after he has “succeeded” in doing so that his journey home can finally be completed.
Nolan’s Odyssey: Filming Locations
But where are the film’s backdrops located? The main locations were Italy, Iceland, Greece, Morocco, Scotland, and Universal Studios in California.
Greece
The southern Peloponnese peninsula was the focus of filming in Greece. The parts featuring the Cyclops Polyphemus were set in Nestor’s Cave. It’s a wonderful a natural cave near Voidokilia beach in the Messenia region. Then you can see Almyrolaka Beach and the medieval castle of Methoni, a fortress built by the Venetians in the 13th century in the port city of the same name. There’s also the Acrocorinth, the evocative acropolis of the ancient city of Corinth.
Malta
Many of the open sea scenes were filmed here. According to the Homeric poem, Gozo corresponds to the mythical island of Ogygia, where Calypso held Odysseus for seven years. There is also a cave called “Calypso’s Cave”, overlooking Ramla Bay, which is often closed to the public for safety reasons.
Scotland
We move to Scotland, specifically to Culbin Forest, a wooded area on the coast of the Moray Firth, a fjord in the northwest. It was the location for some scenes of the battle between Odysseus and the Laestrygonians, the people of man-eating giants led by King Antiphates. Other scenes were filmed in the coastal town of Burghead, in the ruins of Findlater Castle, and in Buckie Harbor, where the Draken Harald Harfagre, the largest modern Viking ship, was moored. Built between 2010 and 2012 and measuring 35 meters in length, it was used to recreate Odysseus’ ship. If you’re curious to spot the “sirens,” all you have to do is explore the coast between Inverness and Aberdeen, populated by bottlenose dolphins!
Iceland
A huge naval set was built near the port of Landeyjahöfn, in the southern part of the island, in the glacier region. It is in Iceland that Ulysses encounters those who have now entered Hades, in these dark, icy, fascinating, and immense lands, a stark contrast to sun-scorched Ithaca.
Sicily
Ten vintage sailing ships were moored at the port of Pignataro, on the eastern side of the island: some were part of the film’s set, others transported crew and equipment for filming on the open sea. The Aeolian island of Lipari is the backdrop for Ulysses’ encounter with the Sirens, the penultimate ordeal he must face after the Cyclops Polyphemus and the sorceress Circe. Other highlights include the island of Vulcano, the Pietra Lunga and Pietra Menalda rocks, which represent the “wandering cliffs” of the twelfth canto of the Odyssey, the Pietra del Bagno, and the islet of Basiluzzo, northeast of Panarea. Then we find Favignana, the butterfly-shaped island just west of Trapani in the Egadi archipelago. If you find yourself on Favignana, a must-see is U Bar du Marinaru to try their pistachio coffee: an espresso with a spoonful of pistachio cream!
Aït Ben Haddou
A fortified village in south-central Morocco dating back to the 11th century AD, where the first scenes of the film, set in Troy during the war, were filmed. Its ancient ksar, composed of mud-brick buildings surrounded by defensive walls and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, was chosen to represent the city besieged and burned by the Greeks before the beginning of Ulysses’s journey. Aït Ben Haddou was also chosen as a filming location for Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator. Also in Morocco, some scenes were shot in Marrakech, Tahannaout, and Essaouira, known for its waves that have made it a popular surfing destination.
Now all you have to do is see this masterpiece or follow in the footsteps of Ulysses.