The Odyssey famously begins “Tell me, O Muse, of the man of many talents,” or similar depending on which translation you prefer. There is an irony that Homer himself might have enjoyed in the way his literary work – itself about the malleability of truth, fame and reputation – has been translated into a Christopher Nolan’s film that is being pilloried for being woke, excessively revisionist, in love with color-blind and trans-blind casting, etc.
This came as something of a surprise to us who had Sir Christopher down as a small c conservative, whose films affirm the sanctity of the heteronormative nuclear family and, in The Dark Knight Rises, positively rejects the idea of left-wing insurgency. But Elon Musk and many others have made their objections known on X and elsewhere, and their views, however vociferously expressed, count in the field of public opinion.
Personally, as someone who’s always enjoyed Nolan’s work, I had been looking forward to The Odyssey more than any other film this year. But there was something about the trailers and general vibe of the picture that was giving me pause, too. Why were British actors like Robert Pattinson and Tom Holland spouting dialogue in American accents? What was with the references to “dad” and “daddy”? How was Nolan going to deal with the gods (such a vital part of Homer)? Was this going to be another depressingly revisionist reading of an ancient text through the prism of 21st century concerns that ends up being neither one thing nor the other? And what the hell is Travis Scott doing in there?
