{"id":2634578,"date":"2026-07-24T07:18:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignthe-problem-with-nolans-odyssey-is-that-its-not-homers-odyssey\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T07:30:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:30:25","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignthe-problem-with-nolans-odyssey-is-that-its-not-homers-odyssey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignthe-problem-with-nolans-odyssey-is-that-its-not-homers-odyssey\/","title":{"rendered":"The Problem With Nolan&#8217;s Odyssey Is That It&#8217;s Not Homer&#8217;s Odyssey"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignthe-problem-with-nolans-odyssey-is-that-its-not-homers-odyssey%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2634578&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Christopher Nolan\u2019s film adaptation of <em>the Odyssey<\/em> is praised for its technical mastery and visual qualities, being the first narrative film shot entirely on IMAX 70mm. Featuring a cast of both established stars and newcomers, it incorporates recognizable mythological elements like the Trojan Horse, Cyclops, Sirens, and others, but these are seen as shallow representations that fail to capture the true themes of Homer\u2019s epic.<\/p>\n<p>The film depicts Odysseus\u2019s encounters and moments of heroism,such as his confrontation with the suitors and the reunion with his dog Argos,but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/victorias-secrets-diversity-rebrand-is-unrecognizable-and-out-of-touch\/\" title=\"Victoria&#039;s Secret&#039;s rebranding for &#039;diversity&#039; is unrecognizable and disconnected.\">ultimately falls short<\/a> by neglecting the deeper significance of the original story. Nolan\u2019s version emphasizes themes of guilt and modern reflection rather than the core Greek myth of heroism, identity, and order amidst chaos.<\/p>\n<p>The critique highlights that Nolan\u2019s adaptation drops the central themes of Odysseus\u2019s struggle to reclaim his identity and restore order, instead transforming it into a story about guilt and PTSD. The absence of the Greek gods and their influence diminishes the myth\u2019s spiritual and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-pick-for-un-ambassador-confirmed-as-position-elevated-to-cabinet-level\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s Pick For UN Ambassador Confirmed As Position Elevated To Cabinet-Level\">moral dimensions<\/a>, reducing the narrative to a contemporary story about a soldier\u2019s guilt-an approach seen as a missed chance to connect with the foundational values of Homer\u2019s work.<\/p>\n<p>while the film is visually notable and commercially successful, it is viewed as a superficial interpretation that fails to authentically convey the depth and timelessness of <em>The Odyssey<\/em>. It is seen as a \u201cPyrrhic victory,\u201d with critics suggesting that a flawless porcelain plate cannot substitute for the profound cultural and philosophical insights of the original epic.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The best way to describe Christopher Nolan\u2019s <em>The Odyssey <\/em>is to say that it is a sleek, modern piece of porcelain, delivered without the medium ribeye you ordered.<\/p>\n<p>The movie, like all of Nolan\u2019s work, is a technical marvel and the first narrative film shot completely on IMAX 70mm film. Chock full of household names, both old-school (Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron) and newcomers (Tom Holland and Zendaya), the blockbuster is reminiscent of old Hollywood star-fests like Sidney Lumet\u2019s <em>Murder on the Orient Express <\/em>and John Huston\u2019s <em>The List of Adrian Messenger.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Excellent scenes are seeded throughout the movie. Odysseus\u2019s encounter with Circe, for example, is genuinely horrifying, ditching mumbo-jumbo spells and Harry Potter-esque transformations for elements of classic body horror flicks like Cronenberg\u2019s <em>The Fly. <\/em>The brief reunion between Argos, Odysseus\u2019 faithful hunting dog, and his master is genuinely heart wrenching.<\/p>\n<p>When Odysseus slaughters Robert Pattinson\u2019s Antinous and the other men who perverted the laws of hospitality and squatted in his home to woo his wife Penelope, it is a cathartic experience to watch. While there are highlights in the two-hour, 52-minute runtime, the product still has serious flaws.<\/p>\n<p>Nolan\u2019s adaptation is not Homer\u2019s <em>Odyssey<\/em>. Yes, the exterior details are there \u2014 we have the Trojan Horse, the Cyclops, the Sirens, Calypso, the lotus flowers, Charybdis and Scylla \u2014 but none of them are right. It is as if Nolan took these elements of the epic, dropped them in front of a funhouse mirror, and shot their reflections. The reproduction is shallow, but not because the dialogue is modern or because there are more black and Indian people in the movie than Greeks. It is because Nolan completely drops the ball in delivering the theme of the poem.<\/p>\n<p>Mythology can be a nebulous entity with several legitimate interpretations. Many people will say the theme of <em>The Odyssey<\/em> is about \u201chomecoming\u201d and the dangers and sacrifices a man must make to return to the people and places he loves. This is a legitimate take, but it only scratches the surface.<\/p>\n<p>In his 2008 book, <em>The Wisdom of the Myths, <\/em>Luc Ferry argues Odysseus is a man overwhelmed by chaos. Some of this chaos, like the 10-year Trojan War, is out of his hands; duty forced him to follow King Agamemnon to war. Other chaos, however, like the hatred Odysseus earns from the sea god, Poseidon, comes from Odysseus\u2019 own pride and vanity. This chaos is sparked by what the Greeks called <em>hubris, <\/em>acting in some way like something you were not, usually a god.<\/p>\n<p>The gods threaten to kill Odysseus, not merely physically but by erasing his identity, making him as nameless as the dead. In the book, when Odysseus communes with the dead and speaks to Achilles, the great warrior says, \u201cI would rather work the soil as a serf on hire to some landless impoverished peasant than be King of all these lifeless dead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Odyssey is not just a story about a man trying to find his way home. It is the story of a man who must bring order out of chaos. He must hold fast to who he is \u2014 Odysseus of Ithaca, son of Laertes, the beloved of Athena \u2014 when gods themselves thwart him in this task. Reclaiming his identity, according to Ferry, is why so many of the dangers Odysseus encounters attack not just his body, but his memory and identity. Only by remaining Odysseus, \u201cthe man of nimble wits,\u201d can he return home and re-establish order.<\/p>\n<p>Nolan throws all this away and, instead, gives us a contemporary reflection on guilt. According to his movie, Bronze Age Greece collapsed because the guile of the Trojan Horse shattered \u201cZeus\u2019 law\u201d of hospitality, which rendered all morality moot. While it is true that Homer\u2019s wise man, Nestor, tells Telemachus, Odysseus\u2019 son, that Zeus wrecked the homecoming of the Greeks because \u201cnot all were wise and just,\u201d the Trojan Horse itself was never the problem. The Greeks adored cleverness, and the Horse was sanctioned by the goddess Athena. Turning the trick into the moral failing ruins the entire retelling.  <\/p>\n<p>Take Odysseus. Matt Damon\u2019s Odysseus cannot be the \u201cman of nimble wits,\u201d because while wits give you an edge over your enemies and keep a lock on your identity, they can do nothing in the face of overwhelming guilt. Cleverness is thus replaced by angst.<\/p>\n<p>Damon is a PTSD sufferer who <em>wants <\/em>to forget. He pigs himself on the lotus flowers and, at the end of the movie, after freeing his house from the suitors, exiles himself with his wife to the west as if he were a scapegoat. Nolan intends for this to be a heroic, self-sacrificial action. But it comes across as the easy way out. If Odysseus is guilty, his exile should be more of a mission to re-establish Zeus\u2019 law. And if he isn\u2019t guilty, then this decision is asinine stupidity.<\/p>\n<p>Guilt could have worked cinematically as Nolan\u2019s theme if the Greek gods were actually present in the movie and had a say in things. But they do not. While monsters and seers and witches seem to thrive, the gods, the forces of order and justice, are MIA. Yes, Zendaya is credited as Athena, but the actress\u2019s appearance as a Trojan girl killed in front of Odysseus suggests she is just a guilt-induced manifestation. Zeus is mentioned but never appears. The thunder supposedly heralding his presence might as well be a meteorological coincidence. Ignoring the pantheon, especially in one of the two main works that gave the Greek their gods (Herodotus names Homer and Hesiod) is not just an error, but borders on sabotage. And for what? <\/p>\n<p>Here is where the true irony manifests. By trying to make <em>The Odyssey<\/em> relatable to the 21st century, Nolan made a flash in the pan, not an adaptation of one of the foundational texts of the Western world. Instead of a hero we all can relate to \u2014 because home and identity and stability are things we all crave and desire \u2014 we get another story about another soldier who feels guilty about fighting in a war. That might have been a unique spin in 1971, but it\u2019s as old as mothballs today.<\/p>\n<p>While the movie looks like it will make money, and the supermajority of critics cannot contain their joy (actress Samantha Morton wins the hyperbole Olympic gold for calling her experience on set a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/story\/the-odyssey-samantha-morton-circe-interview?srsltid=AfmBOoo_P4sGi-O1ud0wspQ3LMhQyJZ282E6J-bvr9SbwweYYU4RB5JY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">religious experience\u201d)<\/a> it is, at the end of the day, a Pyrrhic victory. A white, porcelain plate cannot satisfy what we look for when we read Homer, no matter how smooth or flawless it is.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Nathan Stone is a storyteller who looks at culture, politics, and religion from a different point of view on his YouTube channel Nate on the Stone, and who exercises moral imagination in his writing. A lover of books, music, and the outdoors (especially with dogs), he earned a master&#8217;s degree in American history from Liberty University in 2016. Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCAf9yqD5ewDue7gE8NDUmqg?view_as=subscriber\">his channel<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nes_nathan\">follow him on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nolan\u2019s The Odyssey: a sleek, modern porcelain replica<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1686,"featured_media":2634579,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-23-at-13.17.38.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[34313,83118,83017,83018,52540],"class_list":["post-2634578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-film-analysis","tag-mythology","tag-nolan","tag-odyssey-2","tag-storytelling-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-23-at-13.17.38.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2634578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1686"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2634578"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2634578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2634586,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2634578\/revisions\/2634586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2634579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2634578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2634578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2634578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}