Why ‘The Odyssey’s Controversial Boycott Attempts Failed

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has proven to be an unequivocal success by just about every metric imaginable. It’s smashing box office records seemingly every day, it’s drawn rave reviews from almost all critics, and garnered universal acclaim among verified users on any platform you want to investigate. Theaters that show the film in 70mm IMAX (as it was shot) are sold out for literally weeks, with tickets being scalped at prices on par with major concerts or sporting events.

It seems comical now two weeks into the fantasy epic’s theatrical run, but a loud and insistent wing of the internet worked vehemently to bring the movie down in the months leading up to it. Infamously, the movie’s official countdown trailer drew a stunning 700K dislikes on YouTube, supplemented by plenty of inane content decrying elements like historical inaccuracy, racial miscasting, and anachronistic dialogue and costumes despite the movie not even being released. With The Odyssey now on pace for a worldwide theatrical run north of $1 billion, it’s worth examining why the attempted boycott of Nolan’s latest masterpiece was such a failure.

As It Turns Out, Nobody Cares About “Historical Accuracy”

Universal Pictures

One of the loudest points of contention from Odyssey opps was inspired by the first look at Agamemnon’s (Benny Safdie) armor. The sleek, dark metal armor, massive crest and gold bone decorations were decried as being inaccurate to the time frame depicted in Homer’s epic poem. The scene with the silver-armored Laestrygonian giants came under similar fire, as did much of the original trailer language for using words like “daddy” instead of “father”, as a more informal word like that would not have been used in Ancient Greece. It was a silly criticism to begin with, simply on the grounds that it’s all from a fictional story loaded with monsters and magic.

But more importantly, it was premature to not assume that Nolan, one of the most precise and brilliant living filmmakers, didn’t make any of those choices with great intent. Agamemnon’s armor symbolizes his ego, ambition, and arrogance, which were the true root causes of the entire Trojan War. The Laestrygonian giants were intended to upend the perspective of Odysseus’ crew; up until that point, they themselves had been seen as heavily-armored, vicious monsters by the people whose villages they plundered. The language was updated specifically so that the entire narrative would be more accessible to a modern audience, and based on the box office numbers, Nolan was completely correct in that decision.

The Entire Cast Was Positively Brilliant

The more troubling, and somehow still ongoing, discussion about the movie stems from criticisms over the movie’s cast. In the minds of many bigoted content creators, the fictional story that takes place in the Mediterranean, one of the most diverse and easily-traveled regions on the entire planet, should have had mostly white actors of European ancestry. Lupita N’yongo’s casting as Helen of Troy was the main lightning rod, although there were plenty of arrows lobbed at Elliott Page’s inclusion in the cast as well, especially when an incorrect rumor noted he was cast as Achilles.

Once the movie actually hit theaters, the diverse and ultra-talented cast that Nolan assembled for The Odyssey became one of the most common points of praise. Elliott Page’s performance as Sinon, the shepherd’s son tricked into accompanying Odysseus who wound up being an unintentional sacrifice to sell the Trojan Horse trick, was incredible, especially as it relates to his scene as a shade warning Odysseus in Hades. Lupita N’yongo was brilliant in a brief but important dual role as both Helen of Troy and her twin sister Clytemnestra, both of whom spurred the narrative in very different yet impactful ways.

The stars like Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Anne Hathaway certainly shined, but so much praise has been bestowed upon the supporting members of the cast as well. John Leguizamo’s turn as the ever-loyal Eumaeus, Samantha Morton’s unsettling scene as the sorceress Circe, and Himesh Patel’s steadfast second-in-command Eurylochus all jumped off the screen, and helped make The Odyssey the engaging and exciting phenomenon it currently is.

Nolan’s Interpretation of Homer’s Poem Was Timely and Relevant

Homer’s epic poem may have been originally composed more than 2,500 years ago, but Nolan’s interpretation of the events certainly struck a chord for anyone with even a modicum of media comprehension. In the modern age of turmoil and dissension, a story of how sins against one’s neighbor result in the upending of the world has never been more relevant. The roots of xenia, the ancient Greek concept of hospitality that outlines the moral obligation to care for guests and foreigners, can be found across most major religions, yet nothing could be further from the norm in most modern societies.

It’s easy to also draw a line from The Odyssey to Nolan’s previous work, Oppenheimer. In both movies, the hero is responsible for a singular moment of brilliance that accomplishes an immediate good, but puts the world on a dangerous path. Odysseus’ trick with the Trojan Horse ended the Trojan War, yet stood as a sort of moral point of no return the yields the fall of Greek civilization. Likewise, Oppenheimer ends the Trojan War with the atomic bomb, but in doing so dooms humanity to a world with the ever-present threat of global annihilation.

The Odyssey is a haunting tale about the consequences of the path that we as a civilization are currently on. It’s got a devastating emotional impact for any viewer who can take the narrative and apply it inward or project it upon our modern-day society, and is a key reason why it’s been received so well by the masses.

‘The Odyssey’ Is a True Cinematic Event and Cultural Experience

Matt Damon as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan's

Perhaps the most important point against a successful boycott of a Christopher Nolan movie is that it’s essentially impossible because of Nolan’s own influence. PostTrak surveys for The Odyssey found that a staggering 51% of moviegoers cited Nolan as the main reason to see the movie, blowing the other stars out of the water. After two decades of staggering cinematic feats that include The Dark Knight trilogy, The Prestige, Interstellar, and Oppenheimer, it almost doesn’t matter what Nolan chooses to make a movie about—people will simply be seated.

The vast number of people who experienced The Odyssey on opening weekend made it a bona fide moment in pop culture, as well. Thanks to social media, the movie has been gloriously memed into oblivion, to the point where you’ll be out of the loop in many internet circles if you haven’t seen the movie and don’t understand the context of the many memes, quotes, and gifs. The Odyssey is such a massive success on a global level that it’s become a unifying element in pop culture not just in North America, but internationally as well.

As for those who still rail against the movie with conspiracy theories about fabricated ratings and ticket sales…”Somebody get these beggars out of here!”