Is Odysseus a Weakling in the New Movie?
Critics are buzzing about how Christopher Nolan portrays Odysseus in his latest film, The Odyssey.
Traditionally, Odysseus is depicted as a clever and complex hero. He’s known for devising the Trojan Horse and, after a grueling ten-year war, he faces numerous challenges on his journey back to Ithaca and his wife, Penelope.
Nolan does take creative liberties to connect with today’s audience, but understandably so. If he had presented a wholly Homeric version—complete with kidnapping, violence, and other dark deeds—it’s hard to imagine many moviegoers wanting to spend three hours watching it.
The stark values from Bronze Age Greece, where Odysseus’s exploits took place, starkly contrast with modern sensibilities.
So, Nolan had to make some adjustments. However, he may have leaned too far in softening Odysseus. In this new portrayal, the hero grapples with war guilt and PTSD.
In the original tales, Odysseus’s extended stay with the nymph Calypso highlights his desperation to return home, despite the lure of eternal happiness. Nolan’s version, though, makes Calypso appear more as a therapist than a mere temptation, suggesting she needs to help him confront his traumatic memories before he can think about going home.
This approach, while perhaps excessive, still draws from the core of Homer’s narrative. Homer’s Odysseus is seen grieving over songs from the Trojan War, a powerful way to express his sorrow.
Interestingly, Nolan chooses not to include a particular story where Achilles informs Odysseus in the underworld of his regret over choosing glory in battle—a sentiment that could make one rethink the value of military accomplishments.
Over the years, Odysseus has been presented in various lights. Figures like Sophocles and Euripides offer negative representations, and Dante even places him in a circle of Hell for his trickery with the Trojan Horse, an element that adds to the guilt portrayed in Nolan’s adaptation.
The film seems to give a Christian twist to a story rooted in pagan tradition, suggesting that Odysseus, as a sinner, must seek redemption.
While the film has its shortcomings, it remains engaging, especially towards the ending.
Interestingly, the finale seems to echo Alfred Tennyson’s poem Ulysses, another name for Odysseus. Tennyson’s version portrays Odysseus as endlessly curious, eager to grasp more knowledge even after returning to Ithaca.
In Nolan’s film, both Odysseus and Penelope recite lines from Tennyson, emphasizing the desire for exploration and understanding: a “knowledge beyond human thought.”
In this light, Odysseus exemplifies the insatiable curiosity so central to Western culture, which has driven countless discoveries and transformations in human experience.
Tennyson’s Ulysses believes in pursuing new horizons, stating that “it is never too late to seek a new world.”
The conclusion reverberates with determination: “Strive, seek, find, and never give up.” This echoes a resilience that many might resonate with.
Some of the more vocal right-wing critics have suggested that Nolan is attempting to undermine Western values. If so, it’s interesting to note that he’s creating a fresh take on these classics while also celebrating the spirit of exploration inherent in Western storytelling.
