The reader then finds out, in Books IX through XII, that the greater part of Odysseus's journey precedes that moment in the narrative.
With likely origins in oral tradition, the narrative technique of beginning a story in medias res is a stylistic convention of epic poetry, the exemplars in Western literature being the Iliad and the Odyssey (both 7th century BC), by Homer.
[12] Dead Reckoning (1947) opens with Humphrey Bogart as Rip Murdock on the run and attempting to hide in a Catholic church.
[12] The technique has been used across genres, including dramas such as Through a Glass Darkly (1961),[13] 8½ (1963),[13] Raging Bull (1980), and City of God (2002);[14] crime thrillers such as No Way Out (1987), Grievous Bodily Harm (1988),[15] The Usual Suspects (1995),[16] and Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004);[17] horror films such as Firestarter (1984);[18] action films such as many in the James Bond franchise;[16][19] and comedies such as Dr. Strangelove (1964).
[13] Some have argued that Star Wars takes advantage of this technique because its first-released film, A New Hope, is the fourth episode of a nine-part epic.
[20] Superhero films with a satirical edge such as Deadpool (2016) and Birds of Prey (2020) have utilized in medias res to frame their stories.