Until the release of its cast and trailer, everyone had high hopes for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming movie, The Odyssey, by Homer. In the span of a few days, social media started harping on historical accuracy, “race swapping,” among other odd complaints. But why is there even so much concern over the accuracy of a fictional piece of literature by a poet who may not have even existed?
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The trailer gives a sneak peek of Nolan’s rendition of the classic text. It follows the story of King Odysseus (Matt Damon), who successfully invades Troy and desperately finds his way home to Ithaca to his son (Tom Holland) and wife (Anne Hathaway).
The Odyssey is an epic filled with both victory and sorrow. Nolan isn’t the first to focus on Odysseus’ desperate journey home instead of highlighting his exploits in battle. There doesn’t seem to be anything alarming about the trailer or the direction of the plot. So, why are people fussing about the movie online?
Was Homer even real?
Nolan made several interesting decisions for the upcoming movie. For one, Nolan chose Travis Scott to be part of the cast. The director commented, “I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap.” It’s definitely a unique perspective on the matter, but what is rap if not poetry? Lin-Manuel Miranda has done it with Hamilton. Back then, critics were also raging against the choice of casting and the use of rap. They were, again, complaining about history being wrongfully perceived.
But what makes the outrage against Scott’s inclusion in the film odd is that The Odyssey is entirely fictional compared to Hamilton. Even then, there’s a general understanding that historical accuracy isn’t the biggest priority for these adaptations. Viewers go to theaters knowing that what they’re watching is for entertainment’s sake—they’re not after a documentary.
Moreover, Homer, the presumed author of The Iliad and The Odyssey, may not have even existed. Although he is credited for both works and often dubbed “the father of literature,” scholars have long been debating about Homer’s existence. Many of them believe that The Odyssey is merely a compilation of stories passed down through oral tradition.
What people are truly mad about Nolan’s The Odyssey
It’s not “woke”—people just don’t want to call the backlash against Nyong’o for what it is: racism. There are white supremacists screaming in the crowd because Nolan chose Nyong’o to embody the most beautiful woman in all of classical literature.
But aside from blatant racism, it seems that transphobia is also on the list of complaints.
Elliot Page was rumored to be cast as Achilles. It’s important to note that this is an unconfirmed rumor. However, the mere whisper of it has induced a meltdown on X, calling his casting a “downgrade.” They’d neither seen the movie to judge Page’s acting nor considered that Achilles had already passed away in The Odyssey. These critics had been so riled up about the possibility of a trans man on screen to the point that they’d literally lost the plot.
Accuracy and the movie’s quality aren’t what many of these so-called critics are upset about. There are some comments about the set looking a bit too “California” for their liking. Others have raised that the movie feels too “modern” for an epic. But a bulk of the people whining about Christopher Nolan’s latest movie are bitter that he’s not pandering to their white imagination.
They need to calm down. Even if Homer were real, he wouldn’t have said anything about it. The poet would have long been at peace in the Elysian Fields.
(featured image: Universal Pictures)
