Actress in Nolan's 'The Odyssey' says she would grill ancient Greek Homer about female representation
Actress Lupita Nyong'o revealed in an interview that if she watched the upcoming adaptation of "The Odyssey," she would then turn to the original author and ask him why the original lacked more female representation.
Christopher Nolan is in hot water for choices he made regarding his upcoming movie.
The Academy Award-winning director is receiving backlash for many of his decisions in the making of the film, including casting choices, historical inaccuracies throughout and use of modern dialogue.
"Christopher Nolan has cancelled all screenings of The Odyssey with movie influencers," one X user wrote. "He is only allowing approved critics to see it in advance. He is waving the surrender flag. They know they have a financial disaster on their hands."
Much of the criticism comes from his choice to cast Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy, as Homer describes the character as having "white arms" in the book. Social media users have pointed out that Nyong'o's African roots and darker complexion contradict this description of the character.
Nolan received backlash on social media for his historically inaccurate decision-making when filming "The Odyssey." (VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty Images)
Also causing controversy, is his decision to cast transgender actor Elliot Page as Sinus, a great warrior who fought alongside Odysseus during the Trojan War, as well as rapper Travis Scott as an unknown male character in the epic tale.
"All Christopher Nolan had to do was deliver a visually stunning take on a classic — and he’d have had a huge hit," one X user wrote. "Instead, he decided to ruin it with questionable modifications. Some say he bowed to the woke crowd. Others say he is the woke crowd and was trying to make a statement. Regardless… go woke, go broke."
"I was ready to pay for Chris Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ the second I heard about it. Then the casting dropped," another user wrote. "And just like that, I knew he’s no longer a serious filmmaker. Because if he were, he wouldn’t let diversity mandates destroy his work… he blackified crucial Greek characters on purpose… I won’t be paying to see it."
Elon Musk even got in on the action, commenting, "how pathetic," of the original post.
Many fans of the epic tale took issue with Nyong'o's casting in the film. (Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Universal Pictures))
Others have taken issue with the fact that no actors of Greek or Mediterranean descent were cast in the film.
"I’m very supportive of Chris’s intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling. Our cast is representative of the world. I’m not spending my time thinking of a defense. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not," Nyong'o told Elle in May in defense of the film. "It’s quite something to be a part of 'The Odyssey,' because it is so grand. It spans worlds. So that’s why the cast is what it is. We’re occupying the epic narrative of our time."
Nolan responded to the criticism surrounding his decision to cast Scott, telling Time magazine in May he cast him because he wanted to pay tribute to "the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap."
He later spoke about his process when taking on a story that audiences are already very familiar with on Amy Poehler's podcast, "Good Hang," saying he realized while making the "Batman" trilogy that "what people want from you is your most sincere attempt to do justice to the material," but that it also "has to be your own interpretation."
Nolan told Poehler he feels like he has to do justice to any source material, but as a filmmaker, he also has to bring forward his own interpretation. (JC Olivera/Variety via Getty Images)
"Certainly, I, as a filmmaker, respond to that in other people," he said. "If I go see a movie and I realize that people have loved this and have really tried to give you an experience and tried to put something across in the way that they really believe is great, uh, I think people cut you a lot of slack for that cuz yes, you cannot compete with people's own imaginings when they read a text."
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Others were able to look past the casting, but took issue with the many historical inaccuracies in the film, with one X user pointing out the style of Damon's helmet and armor were incorrect for the time period, with another saying, "Period armor is more Roman than Greece."
"Nolan makes utterly bizarre, anachronistic, ahistorical, aesthetic choices for his 'Odyssey,' comic book armor, viking ships, diverse cast," one X users wrote. "If he's playing this fast and loose with history, material culture, ethnography, etc... what're the odds he isn't monkeying with the myth?"
"I agree about bad casting, but the choice to use modern language in the dialogue is the most egregious problem," one X user wrote. "Why on earth did Nolan think that was a good idea?"
Many fans took issue with historical inaccuracies, including Damon's armor and Holland using the word "dad." (Getty Images)
One particular example of the use of modern dialogue, is when Tom Holland, who plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, refers to his father as dad.
While many were upset by multiple aspects of the film, others were not as bothered by the inaccuracies in casting, dialogue or costumes.
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"Despite all the controversy, I’m going to watch The Odyssey," one X user wrote. "I love Homer’s works. I’m curious to see what Christopher Nolan does with them."
Another added, "Nolan wanted to do Odyssey, so he did it. Oppenheimer was great art? Why does it require ‘value’ to be made, all art is the artist’s interpretation in itself."
The film stars many of Hollywood's biggest names. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
The movie, also starring Zendaya as Athena, Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Charlize Theron as Calypso and many other big stars, is set to premiere in theaters on Friday, July 17.