For an adaptation of an epic more than 2,500 years old, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey came out in a language that felt more contemporary than ancient. It was a bold creative choice on the filmmaker’s part - one which could have led to a backlash from many on the internet. And it did happen as expected, but it was not a surprise for the director, as he was ready for the repercussions of his choice. 

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times before this month's theatrical release of The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan stated that, as the film's screenwriter, he intended to give priority to language that people could relate to emotionally rather than intellectually. For this reason, instead of using Homer's text as it is, the characters in Nolan's adaptation converse in modern English.

“I was maybe being naïve, it might bite me on the a**, but I wanted an earthy narrative. To me it was a no-brainer,” Nolan said about his decision.   

Some have objected to the fact that Tom Holland and almost the whole cast of Christopher Nolan's epic speak in simple American English. "My dad is coming home" might not be appropriate since this is an adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey.

He could not have written the script in Greek, after all. Fans found the use of terminology like "dad" and "daddy" a bit distasteful. However, the changes were necessary to appeal to all audiences, as per the filmmaker. He precisely knew of the risks involved, but still took it to allow his film to connect to a wider audience, as he revealed to the Los Angeles Times.

The great director did not stop here and moved on to defend another pressing matter from the film. 

Christopher Nolan justifies his casting decisions

Christopher Nolan continued by asserting that his casting decisions also had to do with giving ancient mythological figures modern faces. For instance, Zendaya portrays the goddess Athena, Jon Bernthal plays King Menelaus of Sparta, and Lupita Nyong'o plays Helen of Troy. Since these characters "are mythological figures, iconic in some ways," the filmmaker said, he wished to pick them from more well-known faces.

"I wanted to cast it big, get the finest bunch of actors," explaining how these high-profile, albeit familiar actors, are, in fact, meant for the audience to feel "at home."

Additionally, Nolan defended the decision to cast rapper Travis Scott as a bard. According to him, he cast him because he wished to nod towards the idea that this story has been passed down as oral poetry, which is akin to rap. However, only time will tell how all these creative decisions turn out for the movie.

Do you agree with Christopher Nolan’s reasoning? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Written by

Harshit Kumar

Edited by

Adiba Nizami