New Delhi: Fans are yet to reach a consensus on whether The Odyssey is another Christopher Nolan magnum opus. But it is definitely the British director’s most controversial film yet.
The major criticism of the film is over casting Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy. Fans pointed out that in the original text, Homer described the character as “white-armed”. Casting a Black actress in the role has led to criticism over Hollywood’s age-old “race-swapping” tradition.
And this also drew a reaction from Elon Musk, who called Nolan an “anti-white racist”, saying that the director had lost his integrity. He claimed Nolan did the casting to win an Academy Award.
“Chris Nolan desecrated The Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award,” Musk wrote on X.
Elon referred to the eligibility criteria that every film should meet to get nominated for an Academy Award. A film should satisfy two out of the four representation and inclusion standards set by the Academy. These include conditions such as having at least one lead actor from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group, having women and LGBTQIA+ members in the ensemble cast, and the main storyline being centred on an underrepresented group, among others.
The film began drawing criticism soon after its trailer was released, with Nolan being accused of using modern English words in a film based on ancient Greek mythology. In the film, Antinous, played by Robert Pattinson, tells Telemachus (Tom Holland) that he will marry Penelope and that he should stop waiting for Odysseus to return. “You’re pining for a daddy you never knew,” he says. “My dad will return,” replies Telemachus.
Also read: Which Odyssey translation should you read before watching Christopher Nolan’s movie?
‘Historical inaccuracies’
Then comes Sinon (Elliot Page), the Greek soldier who gives the idea of the Trojan Horse. When the casting was announced, there were rumours that Page would be playing Achilles. People, especially Musk, started posting about Page’s transgender identity and how his body structure was too small to play the great Greek warrior. Now that the movie is released, the rumour is cleared. Page appears on screen for just a few minutes.
In the film, Demodocus, the Greek bard, is played by rapper Travis Scott. Critics online said that placing a hip-hop artist in Greek mythology, which has historical significance for many people, ruins the experience of watching the film. People started comparing rap and bardic poetry, saying how the two are totally different art forms. According to Nolan, the rapper’s presence is to reinforce the idea that the story has its roots in oral traditions similar to those of hip-hop.
“I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap,” Nolan told Time.
Many also questioned Nolan’s decision to adapt the Greek mythological text itself. Critics argued that there were no Greek actors in the cast, while several actors with similar likeness were cast without the makeup team attempting to make them look Greek. From historians to fans, many also pointed out alleged historical inaccuracies, arguing that the Greeks did not use Viking-like longships as shown in the film. Agamemnon’s dark armour was also criticised as historically inaccurate, as Greek armours were traditionally made of bronze.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)