Nolan turns ‘The Odyssey’ into timely reflection on war, heroism

Adapting an epic poem that is nearly 28 centuries old for the big screen shouldn’t just capture how that world felt like it belonged to another time; it should also explain why the story remains relevant today.

This is something Christopher Nolan understood when he decided to adapt Homer’s “The Odyssey” as his follow-up project after his 2023 film “Oppenheimer” earned him his first Oscar for Best Director.

Many people online who insist that the film should be “historically accurate” will definitely not enjoy this film. But those who get it understand why Nolan was deliberate with the creative liberties he took in bringing the sheer scale of this epic poem to life on the big screen. Even if it’s set in a mythical past, Nolan’s interpretation serves as a mirror to our present, reflecting on the cost of war and what it truly means to be a hero.

The film follows Odysseus (Matt Damon) on his 20-year journey back to his home of Ithaca after the Trojan War, as his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) await his return. In his absence, Ithaca has no king, and his prolonged disappearance has led many suitors to try to convince Penelope to marry them and claim the throne, including the sleazy, opportunistic Antinous (Robert Pattinson). While most in Ithaca believe Odysseus is dead, Penelope, Telemachus, and Odysseus’ loyal servant Eumaeus (John Leguizamo) remain convinced that he is still alive.

They were right, though he was barely alive. Together with his crew, Odysseus encounters mythical beings throughout his journey, including the cyclops Polyphemus, the dangerous Laestrygonians, the witch Circe (Samantha Morton), undead soldiers who died in his name, and the seductive goddess Calypso (Charlize Theron). All the while, Gods like Zeus and Poseidon punish Odysseus for his questionable actions, making his journey home even more difficult.

For many who aren’t literature buffs, Homer’s poem is more familiar through the many ways it has been reinterpreted in pop culture, often in fragments. Here, Nolan consolidates the poem’s most important episodes into a three-hour spectacle with a slow but rewarding pace that perfectly embodies the storytelling structure of an epic.

The film unfolds in a partially non-linear structure, thanks to Jennifer Lame’s precise editing that keeps the storytelling engaging throughout its three-hour runtime.

Viewers get to see Odysseus in his most unfiltered form in Nolan’s point of view. He’s a noble, highly principled soldier, a brilliant strategist, and fiercely loyal to his family and crew. But he is also willing to be deceptive and dishonest to achieve his goals, and his immense pride often becomes the greatest obstacle on his journey home. Even when we witness the worst parts of Odysseus, we still root for him as the film reaches its cinematic final act.

Odysseus’ epiphany is aided by Athena (Zendaya), who serves as an invisible moral compass, prompting him to reassess both his morality and the decisions he has made. It says a lot about Nolan’s desire to make Odysseus a complicated hero that honors Homer’s original characterization while remaining ultimately likable enough for audiences to root for because he is capable of holding himself accountable. Had Nolan adhered strictly to Homer’s characterization down to every detail, Odysseus would have been far more difficult for modern audiences to embrace, as many of his flaws simply would not fly with today’s viewers.

It’s important to understand that Nolan’s attention to detail from the ancient text, while adapting what works for his own vision, is necessary for his broader commentary on the cost of war and its lasting effects on both individual morality and society as a whole. It’s definitely not a coincidence that Nolan chose to double down on the anti-war stance he established in “Oppenheimer” with “The Odyssey” as his follow-up, perhaps as a reminder that while war may crown champions in the short term, it also leaves destruction in its wake for generations.

But Nolan puts “The Odyssey” on a more hopeful note, suggesting that society is capable of redemption, much like Odysseus himself. In an interview with Time magazine, he said, “You can view cycles pessimistically: History is doomed to repeat itself. But there is also something optimistic about those cycles. There is rebirth and regrowth.”

From there, viewers can better understand the many creative liberties Nolan took in retelling Homer’s poem to the big screen, shaping it into a story with a message that resonates with us today.

This philosophy trickles down to the casting, which complements each character’s interpretation in the film – from casting Black actresses Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Zendaya as Athena, to having the cast use American accents and modern dialogue, to the demystification of Morton’s Circe, and even casting rapper Travis Scott as a bard, whose profession parallels how “The Odyssey” has been passed down through oral storytelling for centuries.

When viewers understand Nolan’s nuanced intention of retelling the epic poem for today’s audience, the backlash demanding “historical accuracy” feels like a futile battle cry against a film that was never trying to be a historical reenactment in the first place.

Of course, Nolan isn’t the only star of his own movie. A committed director is matched by an equally committed ensemble cast, many of whom deliver some of the best performances of their careers.

Damon’s portrayal of Odysseus feels effortlessly nuanced, drawing from both his deep understanding of character-driven storytelling and the action-star credibility he established in the “Bourne” films.

Other highlights include Hathaway as Penelope, who perfectly embodies her patience and longing for her husband’s return; Pattinson as the perfectly pathetic Antinous; Morton as a terrifying yet sympathetic Circe in one of the film’s most memorable sequences; Himesh Patel as Odysseus’ second-in-command Eurylochus, who constantly challenges his leader; and Elliot Page as Sinon, whose haunting portrayal of feeling betrayed gives the film much of its emotional weight.

Also deserving of praise are Holland as the idealistic and devoted Telemachus, Leguizamo as the loyal Eumaeus, and even Zendaya as Athena and Benny Safdie as Agamemnon, despite their relatively limited screen time.

Ludwig Göransson’s sweeping score also feels like a character in its own right, driving the story forward and becoming the cherry on top of an already brilliant film from Nolan.

Perhaps the film’s most impressive achievement is its extensive use of practical effects, which truly sell the immersion of the world Nolan has created – a much-needed reminder that generative AI can never fully capture the craftsmanship and nuance of practical filmmaking.

“The Odyssey” is the first feature-length film shot entirely with IMAX 70mm film cameras, as well as Nolan’s first to fully embrace the format after incorporating it into his films beginning with “The Dark Knight.” Because the cameras are notoriously loud and can only record up to three minutes of footage per reel, IMAX engineers and the film crew developed a soundproof blimp around the cameras to allow dialogue scenes to be recorded. The setup also required a mirror system so actors could see one another despite the cameras’ enormous size.

Whatever challenges came with the ambition of becoming the first film shot entirely on IMAX film were well worth it. The cinematography truly captured the immense scale of Homer’s poem while perfectly complementing Nolan’s storytelling ambitions.

There’s a good reason Nolan prefers his films to be experienced in IMAX. It’s not just the towering screen that enhances the film’s epic scale, but also the powerful surround sound that fully immerses audiences in its world. That said, not everyone can afford an IMAX ticket or even has access to an IMAX theater nearby. Fortunately, watching the film on a standard cinema screen still delivers a great experience that doesn’t sacrifice the film’s nuances.

With Nolan’s meticulous direction, stellar performances from the cast, a powerful score, and impressive technical achievements, “The Odyssey” is a theatrical experience that audiences shouldn’t miss while it’s still in theaters. A Nolan film is always best experienced on the big screen, IMAX or not. Five stars out of five.