Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has offered his take on Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic, "The Odyssey." Johnson described his cinematic experience as leaving him feeling "like a cracked crustacean washed up on the tarry shingle of the Mediterranean," wrung-out and storm-tossed.
Johnson lauded Nolan's effort, stating that the director is the first person in 2,700 years to "begin to do cinematic justice to The Odyssey" and has come close to capturing the "surf-crashing grandeur of the epic." He noted that out of Homer's 12,109 dactylic hexameters, Nolan has found the "big psychological punch of the drama," highlighting themes of a young man growing up without a father and the joy of a king's return.
However, Johnson pointed out that while the film is "wonderful," many elements from Homer's original text are missing. He attributed these omissions to the "great gulf in attitudes between Homer's time and our own, and – let's face it – the tender sensibilities of our age."
One significant challenge for Nolan, according to Johnson, was adapting the plot for a modern audience, particularly explaining Odysseus's prolonged journey home. In Homer's version, divine intervention from Poseidon, angered by Odysseus killing his son the Cyclops Polyphemus, and Helios, whose sacred cattle were eaten by Odysseus's men, are central to the delays. Johnson argued that depicting such celestial grievances is implausible for a 21st-century audience.
Furthermore, Johnson highlighted the omission of Odysseus's relationships with the sea-nymph Calypso and the enchantress Circe. Homer's account details Odysseus spending seven years with Calypso, during which he was not celibate, and a year with Circe. Johnson noted that Nolan's film steers clear of these sexual dalliances, opting instead to portray Odysseus as suffering from guilt and PTSD over the Trojan Horse incident.
Johnson also discussed Penelope's character, acknowledging Anne Hathaway's "fantastic performance as the abandoned but faithful wife." He noted her desperation as she fends off suitors by claiming she must finish her tapestry, only to unpick it at night. Johnson observed that the film's adaptation creates an "imbalance and injustice" in depicting the marital fidelity of Odysseus and Penelope, with Homer's work exhibiting "complete double standards about male and female marital fidelity."
The former Prime Minister also lamented the absence of humor in Nolan's film, citing Homer's "first great joke in western literature" involving Odysseus's use of the name 'Outis' (Nobody) when interrogated by the blinded Cyclops. Johnson concluded by recommending both the film and the poem, stating, "Go and see the film, because it's great. But read the poem because it's much, much better."
