Went with old and dear friends to watch this at the theater. It had been a while since I’d actually gone out to watch a movie; it was a bit of an adjustment. The bad: 30+ minutes of previews of mediocre movies and many, many ads. The good: the space was ample, seats weren’t squeezed together like airplanes and older theaters; in fact, the seats themselves were quite luxurious. Electric recliner, footrest. It was as loud as I remembered but friends brought earplugs to share.
I enjoyed it. A couple of themes stood out related to topics I’d been researching: xenia and finding our way home.
Xenia is the ethical duty to treat a traveler or stranger with dignity. It’s a moral test that runs throughout the movie. It’s a contract for both hosts and guests: welcome the unknown, but do not abuse the welcome you receive. You may be hosting a god in disguise.
Finding the way home resonated with some readings I’ve been doing about Gnosticism. Gnosticism believes we have forgotten our divine nature and are looking for things in the wrong places. Odysseus encounters tests at every island they cross to divert his homecoming: appetite, pride, erotic attachment, fear, grief. The last stop being, perhaps, the most insidious: Calyspo. A goddess who offers him both sanctuary and forgetfulness.
In the Gnostic tale of the Pearl, a royal prince is sent to retrieve a valuable pearl from a foreign land. Upon arriving at the land he forgets his purpose and identity and goes “native.” He adapts and becomes a functioning member of that society. He goes on autopilot. Until he receives a letter from home. Reminded of who he is, he retrieves the pearl and returns, reclaiming the garment of his divine heritage.
To the Gnostics, the human condition is not one of sinfulness or moral failure, but forgetfulness.
In the end, after returning home, setting his house in order, he leaves it all to his son, who becomes king, and sails off to new adventures with his beloved, following the sun across the open expanse of the seas.