The Odyssey: Odysseus

Ok, now I finally have time to get back to my comments about Christopher Nolan’s adaption of The Odyssey (2026). I’ve already summarized the plot and some of the issues it has, so this time I want to focus in on Nolan’s depiction of the main character, played by Matt Damon. In the film, Damon’s character is profoundly depressed, traumatized by the weight of the fact that he’s responsible for the Trojan Horse trick that both killed his faithful support Sinon (Elliot Page) and enabled the Greeks to finally sack Troy. He’s particularly unable to forget the death of the priestess of Athena (probably meant to be Cassandra, played by Zendaya), and sees her frequently, although it’s never entirely clear if he’s seeing the priestess or Athena herself. Because of this huge burden of PTSD that he’s carrying, he’s reluctant to return home, and Calypso (played by Charlize Theron in a truly thankless role) feeds him the amnesia-inducing lotus flower to help him heal. When she finally allows him to…