Greeks Debate Christopher Nolan's New Film Adaptation of Homer's "Odyssey"

The film "The Odyssey" (The Odyssey) will be shown in cinemas starting Thursday (July 16). The 172-minute heroic epic is a live-action adaptation of the Homeric epic of the same name and the first theatrical film to be shot entirely in IMAX format. IMAX is a particularly high-resolution large format for cinema films. "The Odyssey" is based on Homer's ancient verse epic, attributed to the Greek poet Homer and likely composed in the 7th century BC. There are over 30 film and series adaptations of Homer's "Odyssey."

Alongside Matt Damon, other well-known actors appear, including Lupita Nyong'o (Helen of Troy), Tom Holland (Telemachus), Anne Hathaway (Penelope), Robert Pattinson (Antinous), Zendaya (Athena), and Charlize Theron (Calypso). Rapper Travis Scott serves as narrator. The production reportedly cost around $250 million, with another $250 million spent on marketing. Hollywood insiders predict a dream opening of up to $130 million at the U.S. box office and another $70 million in the remaining territories.

Filming Under Extreme Conditions

Christopher Nolan had already celebrated the premiere on July 7 in London, together with stars such as Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, and Robert Pattinson. Zendaya and co. caused fan hysteria at roughly half a dozen premiere appearances. Matt Damon gave an interview to the German Press Agency in London and described the filming as physically extreme: "They actually rowed this 100-ton ship themselves across the Mediterranean," he said. The actors playing Odysseus's crew had to complete a rowing training camp before setting sail.

Damon also spoke about the technical side of the IMAX format: "It's just technically more demanding because the cameras are loud ... That can be distracting, especially when you're working with them for the first time." An IMAX film reel only runs about two-and-a-half to three minutes. "So if you're shooting a scene where you're talking to each other for five, six, or seven minutes, the camera has to be reloaded two or three times just to get a single take of the scene," Damon explained. "That demands a lot of concentration from the actors so they stay in the scene." The 55-year-old went on to say: "Everyone really pushed themselves to their limits. I've never been part of a film where every single department was pushed so hard and at the same time everyone absolutely wanted to be there." On the physical demands, he added: "You feel it ... It's mainly about how the audience experiences it. And when you see people exerting themselves like that and know that's real, it really puts you in that world and lets you fully immerse yourself. But that's exactly the dedication Chris (Nolan) demands."

Political Debate in Greece

In Greece, the film is meanwhile sparking political discussions. Tech billionaire Elon Musk claimed that Nolan had "desecrated" the "Odyssey" because he gave the role of Helen of Troy to the Black actress Nyong'o. However, Musk had not even seen the film at that point. The Trump-aligned network FOX also made noise, criticizing the casting as part of a racism dispute. The small nationalist party Niki criticized the Greek government's decision to pay subsidies of around six million euros so that filming would take place in the country. Citing Musk, the party said Greek taxpayers were thus financing the imposition of a "woke ideology" on Greek history and cultural identity.

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni rejected the criticism. "It is not the job of the state to dictate to an artist how he should artistically interpret a work or a myth," she told the Greek pop culture magazine "Lifo." "Can we seriously discuss whether the state should censor Christopher Nolan?" Nolan himself had already spoken out in an interview with the newspaper "The Telegraph": "These discussions that take place before people have seen the film — they are always irrelevant, because no one leading them knows what the film is actually like." Nolan said in an interview with the newspaper "The Telegraph" that criticism was part of the job for him.

Reception and School Lessons

Reactions to the film have varied internationally. "An absolute triumph and a cinematic masterpiece," cheers "Fandango." "The high expectations were exceeded. Matt Damon on Oscar course," wrote "IndieWire." Historian Tom Holland sees in the film "the best cinematic adaptation of a Greek myth."

In Greece, Homer's story is part of the curriculum in all schools — and that is also how the epic has been kept alive for nearly 3,000 years. In the class of teacher Filippos Mantzaris, for instance, seventh-graders discuss King Odysseus's encounters with monsters and other adventures. "It is a fantastic literary text with which children can identify," said Mantzaris. Twelve-year-old Kyriakos Agapiou said reading the epic in class had taught him that "anything is possible and we should never give up."

The Austrian box office is also fiercely competitive in this opening window: the live-action adaptation of "Moana," "Minions & Monsters," and the horror film "Obsession" currently occupy the top 3 spots. Other major summer releases are "Toy Story 5" on July 23 and "Spiderman: Brand New Day" on July 29.