ZEUS’S FIRST LAW: A REVIEW OF CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S THE ODYSSEY

Xenia (pronounced “zenee-a” and written as ξενία in Greek) is guest-friendship, the relationship between a guest and host.

Unwritten Tradition: It was an unwritten religious and social code rather than a statute written by an author.

Host Duties: Hosts must feed, shelter, and protect any stranger or traveler before asking their name, because the stranger might be a god in disguise.

Guest Duties: Guests must show respect, not overstay their welcome, and not abuse the host's generosity.

There’s no hiding the fact that I have been a long time Christopher Nolan fan. His commitment to storytelling in the most basic sense of the word is something that shows us that even in the modern age (and perhaps most importantly in the modern age), stories are what reveal to us who we truly are, what we have been, and overall what we can aspire to be. In his latest film, The Odyssey, he has taken one of our oldest mythological traditions and transformed it into something that can serve to teach the current generation about what the true price of being hailed a hero can be and how we as humans should hold ourselves to account for the things we have done and ensure we actively make choices for the betterment of all in the future.

Shot in IMAX as Nolan has become famous for, this film is nothing short of an ancient epic tale brought into the twenty first century for today’s audience. While it does strip away some of the more fantastical elements it maintains much of the awe and wonder and brings those days of magic into a practical viewing experience that does not sacrifice the score or importance of the story itself.

This film was met with controversy from the start, facing backlash for some of the casting choices, lack of historical accuracy to the time period, and of course the choice to film it exclusively in IMAX to the assume detriment of a large portion of the audience that is not within a reasonable reach of an IMAX theater. Leading up to the premier, however, Nolan stuck to his guns on all of these choice. To be honest, at first, I thought that this was Nolan using a lot of the social capital he’d built over the years with multitudes of successful, thought-provoking films, but when I finally saw the movie, I must concede that I was wrong.

The Odyssey opens much in the way the epic poem does, with the Invocation to the Muse, done in a rhythmic and captivating performance by Travis Barker during a feast of Penelope’s Suitors in Ithaca where we establish the current state of affairs and Odysseus’s current situation at this point of the story on Calypso’s island. Nolan himself stated that the rhythmic oral delivery by Travis Barker in the first scene was a reference to the manner in which these stories were delivered in the centuries following the Bronze Age Collapse. This opening scene also establishes what Nolan dubbed “Zeus’s First Law” which is a modern day interpretation of the Greek concept of Xenia, the way to treat strangers and honor guests, further educating the audience that the ancients believed in this tradition because a stranger or a guest may be a god in disguise.

From there, the story follows much of the beats of the original poem, though it diverges in the way the story is delivered, condenses some things, and does change the meaning of others during the course of the narrative. A good example of this is that in Homer’s epic, Odysseus recounts is story to King Alcinous, the Phaeacians, and Queen Arete after he washes ashore. In the movie however, Matt Damon’s Odysseus recounts his story to none other than Calypso herself after she stops feeding him the lotus flower that had been aiding in his blissful amnesia that had brought him so much pain—yet another condensation from the original epic.

The story follows the two paralleling stories of the father and son, giving us glimpses of Telemachus’ journey to visit King Menelaus of Sparta in a hope of learning any news about his father, fearing that if nothing comes of him soon, the suitors will force his mother’s hand (Queen Penelope, played by the illustrious Anne Hathaway). As the story progresses, it does so very much in the way a story of this magnitude may have done so in ancient Greece when being delivered in an oral tradition, through flashbacks, time jumps, back and forth between different storylines, and the modern day situation, which may be difficult for those uninitiated to Greek mythology and its many different telling's and traditions, but was fascinating and ultimately rewarding for me as one who studied myths.

Or course, this movie will not be for everyone, but what I do take issue with is the discontent of hardcore mythology buffs. Considering myths and stories of gods, heroes, and monsters especially in Greek traditions have so many different versions and telling's, there should definitely be room for a modern interpretation from one of the twenty-first centuries most profound story tellers, right? I truly believe so, and in the present world of wars, the us vs. them mentality, and seemingly perpetual interpersonal conflict, I think that Nolan’s themes and messaging in this adaptation are more poignant now than ever before.

Every so often, it is the responsibility of storytellers to bring the world back from the brink of a collapse of its own making in order to show intelligent people that there is a better way forward and timeless tales such as The Odyssey are extraordinary vehicles for doing so. Nolan’s themes of war, guilt, trauma, the complexity of memory, identity, power vacuums, corruption, and individual greed manifesting in the human need to take advantage of one’s hospitality are all things that I believe the modern day audience needs to be reminded of. From the social media addict, to those too young to remember the true cost of war, these are important lessons that Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey convey in an entertaining manner which makes the dramatization of the characters experiencing them all the more harrowing and emotional.

Again, this adaptation will not be for everyone, but I definitely think it is an adaptation worthy of the pantheon of films that we have come to appreciate from Christopher Nolan. The music by Ludwig Göransson, who Nolan most recently worked with on Oppenheimer as well as Tenet, immerses you in the time period and quietly invites you to understand the truly epic scope of the story that is nonetheless having important, small conversations that should matter to each of us deeply and in a personal way. With the usage of period accurate instruments and uniquely woven melodies combined with modern day digital orchestrating, Göransson has created a score that even Orpheus would be proud of, capturing both the full determination of ancient battles, and the quiet torture of a man whose choices have led him to a torturous fate that prolongs his journey home to his wife and son.

All in all, I loved this film. As a mythology buff, there were some things that I had to swallow, but those pills were not nearly as large as some other reviews would make you think they are. As a Christopher Nolan fan, I had a tremendous amount of appreciation for the practical effects and real locations of the film. As a former history major, there was a lot that I had to forgive and on several instances I had to remind myself that this is a mythological adaptation not a historical one. Hell, if I can accept a show like Vikings, I certainly can dispel some of my criticisms regarding historical inaccuracy. But one thing I truly appreciated was the integration of real life history in the mentions of the raids from the People from the Sea—a real world mysterious group of people that were central to the collapse of the Bronze Age was something that was a welcome addition to the story that tied it back to true history and framed the story in a position in time where it could have plausibly taken place.

The casting didn’t bother me nearly as much, and with such a star-studded cast, you got what you paid for. Each performance was earned and felt like the result of an actor who deeply appreciated the source material. My particular kudos go out to Zendaya and her portrayal of Athena, as well as the twist at the end that brough all the themes together in one scene that drove me to tears.

In short, if you haven’t already, you should go see it. If you aren’t near an IMAX theater, that’s okay, neither am I and I still thought the film was brilliant. It’s still the story of a broken man trying desperately to get home. A man who has been literally through hell and back, haunted by the ghosts of his past. This is a story for the age. And Nolan has brought it to the modern age in fine style.

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