Christopher Nolan is speaking out about the backlash over one of the biggest creative choices in his upcoming film ‘The Odyssey,’ the decision to have his characters speak in modern English instead of dialogue styled after Homer’s ancient Greek verse.
The film is based on an epic poem that dates back to roughly the 8th or 7th century BC. It’s drawn attention since the earliest trailers showed that the cast, led by Matt Damon as Odysseus and Anne Hathaway as Penelope, speaks in modern, mostly American-accented English rather than the elevated, old-fashioned style people might expect from a myth like this. The gap between the ancient setting and the present-day dialogue quickly turned into a hot topic on social media, with some viewers poking fun at lines that sounded more like everyday slang than epic poetry.
Christopher Nolan Defends Modern English Dialogue in ‘The Odyssey’
Talking to the Los Angeles Times ahead of the film’s July 17 release, Nolan, who also wrote the screenplay, said his main goal as a writer was to make the emotion land, not to stay historically or literarily accurate. He said he wanted “language that has emotional, not intellectual meaning to people,” instead of trying to copy Homer’s original text or the formal, old-style wording found in most classic translations.
Nolan admitted the choice comes with real risk. “I wanted an earthy narrative. To me, it was a no-brainer,” he told the outlet, before adding a more honest note about the gamble he’s taking. “I was maybe being naïve, it might bite me on the ass.”
Nolan’s thinking carried over into casting, too. With a huge cast that includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o and Jon Bernthal, Nolan said star power works a lot like plain dialogue does. It helps modern audiences feel connected to a story about, as he put it, mythological and iconic figures. So he wanted to bring in top talent to hold the film together.
‘The Odyssey’ Armor Design and Travis Scott Casting Spark Backlash
The dialogue debate is just one of several controversies following ‘The Odyssey‘ before it even hits theaters. People online also went after the film’s armor design, comparing Agamemnon’s costume, worn by Benny Safdie, to Batman’s suit. Nolan defended the look to Time magazine, pointing out that real Mycenaean daggers were made from blackened bronze, so it’s reasonable to think ancient metalworkers could have given armor a similar dark finish.
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Travis Scott’s casting as a bard in the film also raised some eyebrows once early trailers came out. Nolan defended that choice by linking it to the oral storytelling traditions behind Homer’s epic, comparing that history of spoken storytelling to modern rap music.
‘The Odyssey’ Release Date
Classicist Emily Wilson, whose 2018 translation of ‘The Odyssey‘ was the first done by a woman and also used plain, modern English, has made a similar point in the past. She’s cautioned that old-sounding English isn’t actually any closer to the original Homeric Greek than modern language is. It just feels more “authentic” because that’s what people are used to.
Even with all the online arguments, early reactions to the film itself have been mostly positive, with critics calling it a major cinematic event. ‘The Odyssey‘ is set to open in theaters on July 17, including a limited number of 70mm IMAX screenings.
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