Director Christopher Nolan's new film reimagines the ancient Greek hero Odysseus, presenting a character grappling with war guilt and PTSD, a departure from the original Homeric depiction but one that resonates with modern sensibilities.
While the original Odysseus, as described in Homer's epics, was known for his cunning, including the stratagem of the Trojan Horse, and for a journey home marked by encounters with nymphs and the execution of disloyal servants, Nolan's version modernizes the hero. The text notes that a direct portrayal of Bronze Age Greek values, which included actions like abduction and slaughter, would likely not appeal to contemporary moviegoers. Instead, Nolan softens Odysseus, infusing him with a psychological depth that includes a need to process past trauma.
In the Homeric narrative, Odysseus's time with the nymph Calypso underscores his relentless desire to return to Ithaca and his wife Penelope. However, in Nolan's adaptation, Calypso's role shifts, serving more as a therapist figure, with Odysseus hesitant to return home until he confronts his "dark memories."
Despite these modernizations, the film incorporates elements from the original myths and subsequent literary interpretations. Homer himself depicts Odysseus weeping over songs of the Trojan War, illustrating the hero's grief. The myth also includes a scene in Hades where Achilles expresses regret for choosing a short, glorious life over a long, unremarkable one, a theme that critiques the obsession with military fame.
Throughout history, Odysseus has been portrayed in various ways. Ancient Greek playwrights like Sophocles and Euripides offered critical perspectives, while Dante Alighieri placed Odysseus in the Eighth Circle of Hell for his deceptive tactics, a portrayal that influences the guilt central to Nolan's film. The director's approach is described as rendering a "Christianized version" of the pagan epic, where the hero's journey involves repentance and seeking forgiveness, suggesting that modern morality, even in a secular age, remains rooted in Christian ethical frameworks.
Nolan's finale appears to draw inspiration from Alfred Tennyson's 19th-century poem "Ulysses." In Tennyson's work, Odysseus, after returning to Ithaca, feels an enduring drive for exploration and knowledge, embarking on a new journey. The film's conclusion echoes Tennyson's lines about pursuing "knowledge like a sinking star, / Beyond the utmost bound of human thought," and the commitment "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
This interpretation positions Nolan's Odysseus as a symbol of the "questing, endlessly curious spirit of Western culture" responsible for discovery and progress. Critiques suggesting Nolan seeks to subvert Western tradition are countered by the argument that his renewal of a classic and his paean to exploration ultimately affirm it.