Didn't Read Homer? Here's What to Know About 'The Odyssey' Before Christopher Nolan's Film

It’s been over 20 years since we lost what could have been Christopher Nolan‘s entry into the ancient world. Before even stepping behind the camera for Batman Begins, the filmmaker was already attached to direct Troy, Wolfgang Petersen’s 2004 adaptation of Homer’s Iliad. It fell through, unfortunately, but the ancient world stayed close to his mind.

Two decades and seven Academy Awards for Oppenheimer later, Nolan is finally channeling everything he’s learned about large-scale filmmaking into his sprawling adaptation of one of the oldest stories ever told. His highly-anticipated treatment of The Odyssey is less than two weeks away from hitting the big screen, where we’ll see an A-list cast comprised of the likes of Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Tom Holland bring this Ancient Greek epic to life. If your last encounter with Homer was a high school English class, consider this your refresher: here are six things worth knowing before the lights go down on July 17.

What is The Odyssey about?

This ancient Greek epic is credited to Homer and dates back to the 8th or 7th century BC. The Odyssey follows the story of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, as he tries to make it home after the brutal 10-year Trojan War. His journey back to Ithaca lasts another 10 years and takes him all over the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, where he encounters the likes of the nymph Calypso, the cyclops Polyphemus, the sorceress Circe, and sirens, just to name a few. Throughout his journey home, all his crew are killed and Odysseus himself is presumed dead. Meanwhile, his wife Penelope and their son Telemachus must fend off over a hundred suitors trying to win Penelope’s hand in marriage.

Is The Odyssey a true story?

Although considered one of history’s oldest surviving pieces of literature, no one actually knows whether the events of the Odyssey — the Trojan War and Odysseus’ journey home — are real. It’s widely agreed that Odysseus himself is a fictional character. If he ever did exist, he was likely just a local whose experiences were exaggerated over the years. Meanwhile, scholars believe that the Trojan War was either a real conflict or a series of conflicts that took place around the 13th century BCE, but the cause was likely rooted in politics and trade rather than the abduction of Helen of Troy. There’s also currently no evidence that the famed Trojan Horse, which hid dozens of soldiers, ever existed.

Who is in Nolan’s The Odyssey?

Nolan’s adaptation features a stacked cast. The “royal family” of Ithaca is comprised of Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Tom Holland as Telemachus. Robert Pattinson portrays Antinous, one of Penelope’s suitors, while Lupita Nyong’o portrays Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, Benny Safdie as Agamemnon, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, and Mia Goth as Melantho. Zendaya plays the goddess Athena, while Bill Irwin plays the cyclops Polyphemus and Charlize Theron plays Circe. Travis Scott joins the cast as a bard, while Elliot Page’s undisclosed role is rumored to be Sinon.

How long is The Odyssey?

 

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Homer’s epic is divided into 24 books, while Nolan’s film adaptation has a run time of 172 minutes. This marks the director’s second-longest film, just behind Oppenheimer which clocked in at exactly three hours.

Why is Travis Scott in The Odyssey?

 

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Although La Flame is primarily known as a rapper and producer, he’s also appeared in projects like Gully and Aggro Dr1ft. Nolan previously likened the oral poetry tradition of Homer’s epic to the form of storytelling of rap today, stating that the epic was performed for years before it was ever properly transcribed into literature. “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,” he said.

Which translations of the Odyssey are best to read?

Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation is considered one of the best modern versions. Her translation was written in an unrhymed iambic pentameter, which matches the line-for-line structure of the Greek original, and is praised for its ability to confront the story’s darker themes. Her approach to the characters, especially Odysseus and Penelope, is also what drew Nolan in to utilize her translation as a key influence for the film.

However, those looking for a translation that stays closer to the original Greek syntax and Homeric repetitions can turn to Richmond Lattimore’s 1965 version.