Spectacle over substance? The Odyssey’s fatal flaws
Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated The Odyssey (2026) has arrived to extensive acclaim, with highs of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 4.4/5 on Letterboxd. The star-studded film reimagines Homer’s epic on the homecoming of Ithacan King Odysseus (Matt Damon). Having left for the Trojan War two decades ago, his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) still hold out hope for his return. Each night, over a hundred suitors, including the sleazy Antinous (Robert Pattinson), feast in Ithaca’s palace in hopes of winning Penelope and the throne. Telemachus seeks his missing father, encountering figures like Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and Helen of Troy (Lupita Nyong’o) along the way. Odysseus’ journey is revealed: his crew is eliminated by encounters with sirens, Laestrygonians (giant armies) and the man-eating Cyclops, Polyphemus.
The Odyssey’s hamartia is found in its heavy-handed, over-expositional screenplay. Nolan underestimates his audience’s intelligence through repeated explanations of “Zeus’ Law” and Penelope’s longing for her husband. Theatrical one-liners are reminiscent of recent Marvel dialogue: longtime servant Eumaeus (John Leguizamo) asks Odysseus if he is ‘bringing vengeance?’, to which Odysseus slowly turns, responding: ‘Bringing it all’. Occasional contemporary dialogue, like Telemachus’ use of ‘my dad’, feels out of place within Nolan’s reimagined Mycenaean Greece. Flashbacks are over-utilised to pull at heartstrings, with Penelope and Odysseus lying on each other, dreaming of sailing into the sunset.
Nolan’s adaptation is bound to change from the source material, but it seems to come at the expense of Homer’s characters, most notably the women. Penelope’s theatrical dialogue, epitomised in her viral cry of ‘I want Odysseus’, overshadows her character’s intellect. Helen of Troy, meek rather than prideful, apologises for ‘causing’ the Trojan War. Despite her press storm, Zendaya has just five minutes of screen time, in which Athena offers a sympathetic face and occasional advice to Odysseus – this is far from Homer’s commanding figure. Previously Odysseus’ obsessive captor, Calypso (Charlize Theron) is now his benign counsellor, set on reuniting him with Penelope in scenes resembling an H&M summer campaign. Odysseus himself is no exception, his arrogance and cunning axed in favour of a sympathetic ‘good guy’ edit. The film noticeably omits his sexual relationships with Calypso and Circe (Samantha Morton).
The Odyssey is undeniably a tremendous effort by a talented cohort of people. The crew filmed on Icelandic black-sand beaches, the Mediterranean Sea, and in historic Moroccan villages. Ludwig Göransson's score, Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography, and Ellen Mirojnick’s costume design all excel. Practical effects are a standout: extras drag a 35-foot Trojan Horse across the sand, and a 60-foot puppet (performed by Bill Irwin) is used to create Polyphemus the Cyclops. Nolan squeezes an impressive amount of Homer’s 24-book text into two hours and fifty-two minutes.
Despite these strengths, the film’s pseudo-profound dialogue, overly melodramatic tone, and neglected female characters hold back what could otherwise be considered a classic. Having said that, if you’re set on watching The Odyssey, go to your local cinema, grab a box of popcorn, and don’t let this literature student deter you.
Anna Guest
