the alternative ending nolan crafted for his 2026 adaptation of "the odyssey" genuinely summarises everything wrong with this movie's characterisation of odysseus.
because no, not in a million years, would odysseus "i yell my name and home address to the beast i blinded out of pride so he knows who tf i am." of ithaca, mr. "killed 108 men cock out" and "the reason for the fall of troy" just decide that finally, after he got home to his throne 20 years later to go "you know what man i am lowkey tired as hell from this i am old and weak and fragile let my chud son be king"
he simply would not do that he is soo prideful and selfish to do that.
and that’s the problem, the movie tries its best to not show odysseus as immoral or selfish or prideful, for some reason. it’s too scared to show you the real king of ithaca, and at that point, why make an adaptation at all?
it turned one of the most interesting and complex greek heroes, who is characterised with traits usually associated with villains and cowards in ancient myths, into just some guy.
And you know what's even more crazy??? The movie doesn't really make a convincing argument as to why its version of Odysseus would do it either, or why its version of Telemachus could be worthy of the crown while we're at it.
Nolan's Odysseus is a man tired by war, yes, wrecked with guilt and regret, who believes in the gods but dares to disrespect them. A man who just wants to be done with it all and go home, or so the movie says, in the moments it doesn't forget it's own theme and sends it's protagonist towards fool choices that lengthen the journey. This man arrived home, the home his wife has been protecting for 20 years, enduring the mistreatment of the suitors and the doubts of the people, the home where his servants have faithfully endured abuse because they believed in him, in his comeback, and the first thing he wants is to leave and never come back???? So much of the conflict in Ithaca comes from the fact that only Odysseus can reclaim the throne, as the people won't stand behind Telemachus for he hasn't shown his strength as a man or wit as a ruler. Sure he kills most of the suitors, but what was it all for at the end??? Just to return to Penelope and fuck his son and his country I guess. Who needs a sense of responsibility towards his people anyways.
And even then it wouldn't matter so much if the movie at least made it seem like Telemachus could reign on his own; except it doesn't! So much time spent at the beginning following him, his training, his dealing with his allies and then the journey to Melenaus starts and he goes downhill. At no moment does he manage to stand in front of this king and hold his own despite not being his equal in experience, but rather is nothing but a lost kid, with no show of his wit when dealing with him to prove he is a worthy ally. And when Ambushed by the suitors, he only survived because Odysseus went to fight for him, unlike the poem where Telemachus is able to fight them on his own and win, which cemented his individual strength. He's even forbidden from taking part in the counterattack against the suitors, as this film takes the stance that it is going against Zeus law and therefore a cause for banishment.
So when his crowning comes and his father and mother go, it all feels empty and kind of stupid.
first of all what an amazing paragraph i could have never worded it out so wonderfully like you did just now. genuinely amused by the care and attention you put into this!
secondly, let me interlock our toes when i say this ….. the reason why telemachus in the movie doesn’t feel like he is fit to rule or take responsibility and feels like a kid is because TOM HOLAND PLAYED HIM THINKING TELE WAS 16 YEARS OLD.
those actors .. they know NOTHING about their characters, not even THEIR AGES?! he played a 20-21yo character as a 16yo?! how is that acceptable??? and the actress who played helen couldn’t even name one single greek figure she liked during an interview, why hire actors who have no connection to the characters?! to the story!!
the movie feels so underwhelming because everyone on that set isn’t excited because they are in the movie about THE ODYSSEY, they are excited they’re jn s chris nolan movie.
am i crazy? am i alone on this? is the actors not knowing even the age of their character not a big deal? COMFORT ME!
Thanks <33 you brought up one of the main reasons why that ending didn't work so it really helped me verbalize why it doesn't work on its own either, as much as people use the "it's not an adaptation but a reinterpretation of the Odyssey".
I haven't seen most of the press around the film (I really wanted to give it a fair shot when I saw it, without worrying about the changes) But if even the cast couldn't muster up interest in the story being told to even remember their characters age, then that says a lot about how boring the script is (and it is). Because okay I can understand they aren't familiar with the source, or any adaptation, but at the very least you should know the things that are in the text, on the film, and Odysseus left when he was 2 or 3, then didn't come back for 20 years like the movie tells you it's been that long, so he should know better. And yeah the way he plays Tele does seem like a much younger version, like a teen who isn't old enough to take the mantle but doesn't have a choice; but that's not who he is in the film. Honestly I thought the film was setting up his growth, giving how much time at the beginning of the story is given to his perspective and the shadows of his conflict with his mother are interesting, but sadly went unexplored.
I do believe from what I've seen that everyone is happy to just be in a Nolan film, which I get, but it's truly a shame when a cast can't fall in love with their movie and it shows when they can't really go in depth about their characters or acting choices or the themes in the film. Then again, nobody did much of anything, like I love Lupita as an actress, but Helen is just there for three scenes, short btw, and they're all very inconsequential to the story (even the message she sends Penelope isn't delivered) so idk what all the discourse about this role came from when it's so nothing.
You're not crazy, or if you are I must be too, but besides that there's no more comfort 😢 or well, I guess we can always trust the remake Hollywood cycle to try again in like ten years and hope it goes better then hahahahaha
girl you stole the words right out of my mouth. and to double down on the same though here:
i am not sure if you are familiar with "project hail mary" but lately there has been a lot of crossover between the odyssey fandom and that so i assume you have heard of it!
the reason that movie (which is also an adaptation of a book) came out so well is because the actor (who is also a co-director) HYPERFIXATED on the book like his life depended on it, he spent YEARS reading it and rereading it and working to feel like he IS the character, it was a pure passion project and it turned out to be a masterpiece, not a 1 to 1 perfect no-changes adaptation but it felt like project hail mary because ryan gosling loved the book and loved the characters and felt such deep connection to them, it was amazing because it was made with love, the odyssey on the other hand …. i feel like no one really .. felt that deeply about the very characters they’re playing, Mat Damion seems to only be glad he is on his 3rd chris nolan movie where he plays the lead, he doesn’t seem to even be enthusiastic to play the arguably top 3 most infamous and influential greek heroes of history?..
like i don’t see a deep understanding of odysseus in him that i saw in ryan gosling playing grace - project hail mary.
the movie's biggest flaw isn’t the costumes, nor the casting, script or portrayers of the gods, yes all of those ARE fundamental flaws, but they aren’t the biggest one because they could have been avoided if not for the killer down of the film .. it wasn’t made with passion. it wasn’t written as a love letter for homer nor the odyssey nor greece, it was another movie to drop in theaters, gain six billion dollars and make an already rich man richer.
if those cast were passionate about the odyssey 1% more than they are about breathing the same air as chris nolan, and if he was out of his own little thought bubble of sidelining women and watering down culture, it wouldn’t be so soulless.
and im tired of people acting like it’s so bizarre to be bothered by that?
"it’s just their job bro they’re just here for the paycheck" ITS ART. ACTORS ARE ARTISTS AND CREATIVES! MOVIE MAKING IS ART. ART THAT IS MADE FOR THE SOLE RESON OF MONEY IS SOULLESS ART.
"it’s just fiction" how dense it is to label an ancient epic that is important to history, religion, literature and old civilization as if it’s nothing but a silly little bed time story. dealing with people that don’t give two shits about literacy and mythology and their impact and think they can debate you in that just because they saw a movie they enjoyed was draining.
i hope this doesn’t make me come across as a jerk i don’t have a problem with people enjoying the movie but like don’t act weird when have valid criticism to not like it😭
