‘The Odyssey’, the long-awaited cinematic transposition of Homer’s renowned epic, finally hits cinemas on Friday, giving the beloved Greek poem a new life.
British filmmaker Christopher Nolan has famously directed hugely successful blockbusters such as ‘Interstellar’, ‘Inception’, and the ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy, just to name a few.
Now, he is finally ready to show the world his version of Odysseus’ story.
But it hasn’t been easy, and the controversies around the movie’s production and casting have not helped, either.
A nightmare to film
“This movie was a nightmare to film… but in all the right ways, and we had an incredible time filming,” Nolan told Indiewire back in April.
The film, starring American actor Matt Damon as Odysseus, follows the king of Ithaca as he travels back to his homeland after the 10-year-long Trojan War.
During the journey, which lasts 10 years, the hero is forced to deal with dangerous enemies and loses all of his crewmates.
This is before finally making his return to his son, Telemachus, and wife, Penelope, who is being forced to remarry after her husband is presumed dead.
‘The Odyssey’ sparks casting debates online
The vast majority of complaints revolve around the casting.
Nolan’s choice to cast Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o to play Helen of Troy, for example, has been widely criticised.
The actress responded to the controversy by suggesting critics remember that “this is a mythological story”.
“Our cast is representative of the world,” Nyong’o added, also commenting on the disapproval related to two other casting choices, those of rapper Travis Scott and actor Elliot Page.
Nolan’s choice to cast Page, a transgender actor, in his movie was met with disappointment online, especially since Page was originally rumoured to play Achilles.
It was later revealed that he will play Greek warrior Sinon.
Not just about the actors
Even tech mogul Elon Musk commented on the casting, claiming that Nolan’s choices were only guided by the director “wanting the awards”.
But it is not just about the actors.
When the first trailer for the film was released back in December, people were quick to judge the costumes and sets.
Some even claimed that Odysseus’s boat resembled a “Viking ship” – clearly not the best look for a movie set in Ancient Greece.
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American or British accents?
The actors’ accents were also at the centre of a debate.
Both British and American actors star in ‘The Odyssey’, yet most of them can be heard using an American accent in the latest trailer.
“It sounds like they’re trying to have an epic conversation on the sidewalk outside Starbucks,” someone commented on the video.
Given the setting of the film, however, having the actors talk to each other in a British accent would also make no sense.
Cinematic tradition
The preference seems to be anchored to a cinematic tradition more than to actual historical accuracy.
It seems like Nolan is destined to accept various hot takes from his detractors, but we do not doubt that ‘The Odyssey’ will still be a success at the box office.
With a star-studded cast like this one – Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, just to name a few – ‘The Odyssey’ will mark one of the biggest releases of the year.
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