Nolan’s The Odyssey. Just finished watching it and wow, what an epic.
I wonder if Odysseus is so adamant about saving his men, despite the gods prophesying they’ll all die, because of his guilt over violating Zeus’s law.
His character feels incredibly nuanced. Did he come up with the Trojan Horse because he was simply following orders? That’s a convenient excuse, but I also think it’s what drives his obsession with getting his men home. Maybe it’s his way of absolving himself and holding onto the belief that he only did what he did because he was a soldier obeying his commander.
Was he secretly suicidal? Why shoot the Cyclops after escaping and provoke it further? Why not plug his own ears with wax when crossing the Sirens? Why does he so willingly eat the memory-wiping lotus flowers at first?
I see a man broken by guilt, desperately trying to hold onto his innocence and his principles.
What an adaptation.
The final scene where he tears through the suitors is incredible, especially when his loyal men gradually realize who he is and start bowing one by one before the fight is even over.
I loved it.
At the end of the day, I think a lot of us can see a version of ourselves in Nolan’s Odysseus.
We all have goals we’re striving towards, whether big or small. We all have subconscious ways of sabotaging ourselves through self-doubt, guilt, or the excuses we tell ourselves. And sometimes it feels like we’re pushing against impossible odds, much like Odysseus against the gods and their prophecies.
We all need a Penelope. Not necessarily a person, but a reason to keep going. The journey won’t be easy, and there’ll be long stretches where it feels like nothing is happening (Odysseus’ seven years with Calypso). Sometimes all you can do is trust the process and surrender, like he did on that final raft to Ithaca.
And even then, it still might not work out. His men were just as determined, yet they all died anyway. But by continuing despite that uncertainty, we at least give ourselves the chance to make it home.
That’s one of my takeaways from the film, anyway. I’m sure I’d find plenty more on a rewatch.
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