Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey was probably my least-anticipated movie of the year. I approached it with a healthy amount of trepidation, and I only bought the opening weekend tickets because my favorite movie enthusiast forced me to (and there’s an IMAX theater near my house).
Despite citing Emily Wilson’s translation of Homer’s Odyssey as his inspiration — in particular, the line, “Tell me about a complicated man” — Nolan fell flat on the character front, for me. Wilson herself agrees; after the movie’s release, she wrote a review that was nothing short of scathing, going so far as to invert Nolan’s quote of choice and title her rebuke “An Uncomplicated Man.”
Now, any adaptation is going to have its haters. I tend toward being a source material and historical purist as well (I’m studying English and history, sue me). Even I can accept that a movie adaptation is never going to be completely true to its origins, especially if that source is an ancient epic poem. But when you take a compelling narrative and make it worse instead of different, that’s where Wilson and I alike recoil.
Nolan tried desperately to write Odysseus as an everyman (heavy emphasis on the ‘man’), relatable and sympathetic. The only thing that I had in common with him was an ardent desire to get back to Ithaca. Normalcy isn’t the point of Odysseus, though. He isn’t every man, he’s the man. Instead of a proud, witty, fallible hero, we got another version of Suffering Man™. It’s evident in everything Nolan chose to cut from the narrative. Take Polyphemus’ island, for example. Where was the Odysseus clever enough to give the name “Nobody” to Polyphemus, so that when the Cyclops cried to his neighbors that Nobody was hurting him, they thought all was well? Where was the Odysseus cocky and foolish enough to reveal his true name afterward, taking credit for the victory at the expense of Poseidon’s concentrated wrath?
Understandably, things had to be cut from the final film, otherwise it would have been unconscionably long. I wish those omissions had not been crucial aspects of Odysseus’ character, however. While Matt Damon’s acting was great, Odysseus felt lackluster in total. Perhaps Nolan felt that, in this age of easily-enflamed media discourse, the audience could not handle a complex character. How could we root for the Odysseus who cheats on the wife he’s so desperately trying to return to? Would the audience be able to handle the problem of consent in the face of a goddess coercing a mortal into a relationship? Better not to chance it, according to Nolan. And in doing so, in removing those aspects, Nolan robbed both Odysseus and his female characters of vital nuance.
On that note, I think it’s worthwhile to put in a comment about Nolan’s continued treatment — or mistreatment — of female characters in his films. Unfortunately predictably, the women of The Odyssey were one-note and sparingly used, a few steps up from plot devices. If Odysseus was an uncomplicated man, each and every one of Nolan’s female characters was an uncomplicated woman. In particular, I don’t think I can forgive him for sidelining Athena quite so badly; the goddess was a major driving force behind Odysseus in Homer’s myth, constantly intervening. Instead, Nolan’s Athena spoke a few vague platitudes and did pretty much nothing. Sure, Nolan may have wanted to remove the gods from his film, worrying about crossing the line into gauche (can’t have that in our super serious action movie). So, The Odyssey didn’t escape the “Christopher Nolan can’t write women” trap, but as common an adage that phrase is in the online film-criticism realm, I don’t think it’s an excuse. Depending on who you ask, either none or only one of Nolan’s movies passes the Bechdel test. He’s a multimillionaire director with all the resources in the world. I’d attribute it to negligence rather than incompetence.
On some level, I think I’m just tired of watching movies by men, for men.
That’s not to say The Odyssey wasn’t an entertaining watch. It’s a big-budget film, technically beautiful, cinematographically exceptional, et cetera. Objectively, it looks great. I appreciated practical effects in lieu of CGI, particularly the treatment of Polyphemus the Cyclops, and the score was phenomenal. Being shot entirely on IMAX film was a risk I think paid off. Overall, I think Nolan’s The Odyssey was a good movie. I’m less certain that it was a good adaptation. The film was bloated with celebrities and steeped in an unfortunate millennial beige color palette, which are crimes I can’t forgive. It’ll probably win the Oscar for Best Picture.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the movie is making major cultural waves. The Odyssey has already grossed over $1 billion in global ticket sales. I’m by no means a film buff, so if you enjoyed it, more power to you. If I’m glad about one thing, it’s that now everyone will understand when I make Ithaca jokes. Everyone coming back to Ithaca for the fall semester (yes, you!) can be Odysseus too! I wouldn’t say that a layover at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport is as harrowing as Odysseus’ stint on Circe’s island, but if we both make it back to Ithaca in one piece, I’m calling it even.
Melissa Moon is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is the arts & culture editor for the 144th Editorial Board and was an assistant arts editor for the 143rd Editorial Board. She can be reached at mmoon@cornellsun.com.
