‘The Odyssey’, the long-awaited cinematic transposition of Homer’s renowned epic, finally hits cinemas on Friday, giving the beloved Greek poem a new life.
British filmmaker Christopher Nolan has famously directed hugely successful blockbusters such as ‘Interstellar’, ‘Inception’, and the ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy, just to name a few.
Now, he is finally ready to show the world his version of Odysseus’ story.
But it hasn’t been easy, and the controversies around the movie’s production and casting have not helped, either.
A nightmare to film
“This movie was a nightmare to film… but in all the right ways, and we had an incredible time filming,” Nolan told Indiewire back in April.
The film, starring American actor Matt Damon as Odysseus, follows the king of Ithaca as he travels back to his homeland after the 10-year-long Trojan War.
During the journey, which lasts 10 years, the hero is forced to deal with dangerous enemies and loses all of his crewmates.
This is before finally making his return to his son, Telemachus, and wife, Penelope, who is being forced to remarry after her husband is presumed dead.
‘The Odyssey’ sparks casting debates online
The vast majority of complaints revolve around the casting.
Nolan’s choice to cast Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o to play Helen of Troy, for example, has been widely criticised.
The actress responded to the controversy by suggesting critics remember that “this is a mythological story”.
“Our cast is representative of the world,” Nyong’o added, also commenting on the disapproval related to two other casting choices, those of rapper Travis Scott and actor Elliot Page.
Nolan’s choice to cast Page, a transgender actor, in his movie was met with disappointment online, especially since Page was originally rumoured to play Achilles.
It was later revealed that he will play Greek warrior Sinon.
Not just about the actors
Even tech mogul Elon Musk commented on the casting, claiming that Nolan’s choices were only guided by the director “wanting the awards”.
But it is not just about the actors.
When the first trailer for the film was released back in December, people were quick to judge the costumes and sets.
Some even claimed that Odysseus’s boat resembled a “Viking ship” – clearly not the best look for a movie set in Ancient Greece.
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