A barren land lined with war helmets, swords and armour marking the graves of thousands who have died, rolling waves that crash into a ship and take men as they leave, the tense quiet of hiding below deck from threats above and family waiting twenty years for Odysseus’ return – in these glimpses from The Odyssey, one can almost taste the fear, the devastation and heartbreak of separation in war that the epic captures, in the scale that Christopher Nolan is known for.
One of the most highly anticipated films of the year, fans are excited to see what the iconic filmmaker brings to a story that the world has seen, told, retold and adapted countless times over the 2,500 to 2,800 years that it has existed. Ravi Chakraborty, a professor of creative writing and a Nolan fan, points out something he feels will make or break the film: whether Nolan can bring the psychological complexity of his previous films. “When you go to see his films, you don’t just come out feeling happy for the good guy. You don’t simply clap for Batman but feel overwhelmed by the experience of being in that world. Oppenheimer did this as well, showing that just because a film is meant for a worldwide audience, it doesn’t need to be simple; it can be ambiguous and provocative, too,” he says, adding, “This will be a cinematic challenge for him. I’m curious to see how he would take these larger-than-life characters and bring this immediacy to them while still making the film spectacular.”
Odysseus, like Nolan’s last protagonist, J Robert Oppenheimer, is a morally ambiguous character known more for his cunning than his moral uprightness. He is not a hero in the way we think of one, but as a character who has a hero’s journey – facing monsters, gods and foes. Fans like Anto S Fernandes, an associate director, are hoping to see how Nolan translates this fantastical world with technical inventiveness. He shares, “The trailer seemed to have parts from the Trojan War, so I’m curious about how he will do the practical effects of it, along with the sea monsters and how he represents the gods – they will be major characters, but will he show them as grounded and believable or represent them as an ominous presence with lightning, thunder and other effects?”
With The Odyssey, originally starting 10 years after the Trojan War and told in the present and through flashbacks, fans speculate how this could mesh with Nolan’s non-linear style, with Nikhil Mamnani, a project manager, noticing, “Unlike others who may tell the story as a chunk, taking a novelistic approach, Nolan likes to edit movies like montages, playing with the rhythm of the film. He goes for a more symphonic approach of highs and lows, going along with the instruments which jolt and bring flashes of moments – his editing wisdom is what I’m excited to see.”
Back to Basics
In order to fully appreciate the Nolan film, fans like Mamnani and Fernandes have picked up copies of The Odyssey and The Iliad (whose events spanning the Trojan War precede Odysseus’ perilous journey home to Ithaca). These two are considered foundational texts of Western literature, often compared to the Mahabharata and Ramayana. But why? Assistant professor Elizabeth Thomas shares why Indian audiences might find a connection here, “They ask questions around dharma – what is the right action, how should a son, a wife or a king behave? These are also worlds populated with gods who are devious, cunning, jealous and desirous, just like humans.”
One thing our epics have in common is the fact that they were likely orally transmitted over centuries before being penned down, perhaps partially why these narratives continue to connect today. “Epics are fascinating examples of a kind of world that no longer exists. There is also no problem of veracity – you can tell it as you like in many ways, keeping the foundational structures. They are dynamic and reproducible, in songs, text, oral stories,” she says, pointing to films like O’ Brother Where Art Thou and Troy, and books like The Song of Achilles and Percy Jackson that have reimagined these characters in different ways.
Illiad and The Odyssey adaptations that inform, amuse and entertain:
Books:
The Odyssey by Emily Wilson: This translation is written with contemporary idioms, rejecting the ornate tone of older translations. An introduction with maps, a pronunciation glossary and extensive notes also give added context.
Ithaca by Claire North: Told from Odysseus’ wife, Penelope’s perspective, it follows her as she awaits his return, fending off suitors who want her to pass on the throne. Through wit and her trusted circle of maids, she survives the haranguing and tries to maintain peace within the kingdom.
Movies:
Troy (2004): Paris runs away with Melenaus’ wife, Helen, and all hell breaks loose. The Greeks and Trojans are fighting while the Gods take sides and enjoy the drama unfold.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000): Based loosely on The Odyssey, this satirical comedy film follows three prisoners who break out of jail and go in search of hidden treasure.