Ahead of The Odyssey‘s long-awaited theatrical debut on July 17, there are two major things that audiences might want to know before watching the acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan‘s next action epic. Since it’s based on the Greek poet Homer’s classic poem of the same name, the film’s faithfulness to the source material has been a popular discourse among fans. This started when fans already spotted some inaccuracies with the new movie after its official trailer was released.
What are the two changes to expect before watching The Odyssey?
For moviegoers and history buffs looking for an exact adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, Nolan’s upcoming star-studded epic would possibly not meet your expectations. The first major change that Nolan decided for his adaptation was using modern English dialogue. Online critics had already pointed this out in one of its trailers, featuring Tom Holland’s character Telemachus calling his father “Dad,” which was inaccurate for the story’s time period.
In a previous interview, the Academy Award-winning director explained his decision to adapt the classic story in modern English. He revealed that this was his way to make the story “very fresh for modern audiences.”
“When you look at this world, when you look at the ancient world, people tend to view it in weird ways. There’s a lot of cultural prejudice,” Nolan said (via IGN). “There’s a lot of elevating it because it’s old. When you go to the poem, what you find is something that is really earthy and grounded and accessible. So for me, in building the world of the film, when I talked to all the actors about it, I said, I just want to centre it on that and make it feel very fresh for modern audiences, and do away with some of those assumptions that aren’t based on anything logical. They’re just, as I say, cultural prejudices or things over time.”
Besides the film’s use of modern English, moviegoers should definitely not expect Nolan’s The Odyssey to be a faithful adaptation of the original. Despite the backlash, the acclaimed director isn’t overly concerned with delivering a historically accurate story. He defended his creative choices for The Odyssey’s casting, dialogue, and costumes by citing his previous approach with 2014’s Interstellar, where he also received criticism from scientists at the time of its release.
“For Interstellar, you’re looking at, ‘What is the best speculation of the future?’ When you’re looking at the ancient past, it’s actually the same thing,” Nolan explained (via Variety). “‘What is the best speculation and how can I use that to create a world?’ Hopefully they’ll enjoy the film, even if they don’t agree with everything. We had a lot of scientists complain about Interstellar. But you just don’t want people to think that you took it on frivolously.”