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The Odyssey: How the New Film Makes the Message Relevant

The Odyssey: How the New Film Makes the Message Relevant

Last updated on: July 21, 2026 at 3:38 pm by Beverly R. Green

The Odyssey: How the New Film Makes the Message Relevant 2026-07-21T15:38:01-04:00 Beverly R. Green

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The Odyssey 2026/B. Green

I did something yesterday that I have not done in many years–I went to a movie with great expectations on the day it opened in theaters. The last time I did that was for The Return of the King. Yesterday, it was for Christopher Nolan’s very publicised new film, The Odyssey. I love the action! I love the epic (in the true sense of the word)! I love the deeply committed characters! But understand that I desired to view this retelling of the story of Odysseus’ post-war adventures through the lens of a teacher of literature that uses the story every year in a tenth-grade World Literature sequence. As always, I search for the angle that will make the story relevant and applicable to my students. I think this film version served that up by making Odysseus a little more human under his warrior exterior, a little more vulnerable under all the military layers.

First of all, it’s interesting to me how many people believe that the Trojan War, the Trojan horse, and Odysseus himself, are straight out of the history books. Although it is true that Ithaca is a real island in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Kefalonia, and although scholars now believe that the Trojan War may have been a real conflict with a city-state in modern-day Turkey around 1200 BC, and although Homer may have metaphorically connected his monsters to real life dangers, there is no proof that a king named Odysseus actually existed, fought in a war, or influenced his culture enough to promote a writer to create one of the world’s great masterpieces.

The plot of monsters, magic, and the manipulation of the gods is creative, yes, entertaining, certainly, but, ultimately, fiction. I want to discuss the historical part, the cultural part, and the emotional part that make The Odyssey something real, and that make this film relevant and relatable.

In literature, Homer’s Odyssey explores the ancient Greek warrior culture–something we discuss in class in many of the epics, including Beowulf, The Song of Roland, and The Aeneid. The culture, termed aristeia, or battlefield excellence, was widespread and understood throughout ancient societies.

In Homer’s works, warrior culture is defined by distinct rules and values:

Honor (Timê): The public recognition of a warrior’s physical bravery and social standing.
Fame (Kleos): Immortal glory achieved through battlefield excellence.
A Life of Brute Might: The traditional warrior is a “sacker of cities” who relies on physical strength and the willingness to face an honorable death.

In the Iliad, Odysseus is a true example of this culture,” known for his ferocity, endurance, and strategic advice.” However, in the Odyssey, Homer tips the script a little. Odysseus’ greatest weapons are not his sword and spear, but his mind and words. This practical intelligence is known in Greek as mētis (cunning and strategy). In fact, Aeolus, the guardian of the winds, helps Odysseus because he is captivated by the hero’s tales of the Trojan War and deeply respects him. In the 1997 NBC miniseries, Aeolus claims he helps Odysseus because he is “the first human to use his mind.” The lessons are:

Mind Over Muscle: Odysseus defeats the Cyclops Polyphemus using his wits and a clever alias (“Nobody”), rather than engaging in a straight fight. He relies on strategy to survive deadly monsters, showing that surviving a challenge requires more than brute force.
Danger of Arrogance: When Odysseus’ traditional warrior ego takes over—such as when he boasts to the Cyclops about his true identity—he invites devastating ruin and the wrath of the sea god Poseidon.
Adapting to Civilian Life: Returning to Ithaca, Odysseus realizes he cannot simply charge into his palace with an army. He disguises himself as a helpless beggar to gather information and test the loyalty of his household. His use of deceit and patience shows an evolution away from a rigid “death-before-dishonor” mentality.
Re-establishing Order: When he finally confronts the suitors who have taken over his home, he still uses his traditional martial skills. However, he does so to enforce justice, protect his family, and ultimately work toward a lasting peace.

According to Josho Brouwers in his article “Greek Warfare and Homer,” Homer’s heroes distinguish themselves in two ways: through their words and through their deeds, or to put in a different way: through politics and through war. Both of these activities generate important kudos or (divine) glory or prestige. Odysseus is perhaps the archetype when it comes to the former: he tells stories, inspires people, but is also a gifted liar. Our modern morality doesn’t apply… When it comes to deeds, it’s primarily prowess that matters, especially the prowess or aretē displayed on the battlefield. Odysseus may be a gifted speaker, but he is also a force on the battlefield, though obviously inferior to the Greek champion, Achilles, and the Trojan champion, Hector. In the world of the Iliad, might makes right, though this doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone with political power was necessarily also a strong fighter, or that only the strongest fighters wielded political power. The Homeric ideal emphasizes that those in power have an obligation to protect their communities.”

The Odyssey contrasts the harsh realities of Odysseus’ participation in the Trojan War out of loyalty to Menelaus and an oath that he had sworn, brutal fighting for ten years, and successfully plotting to annihilate a whole city, with Odysseus’ struggle to return and adapt to civilian and domestic life. PTSD is not out of the question here. Odysseus’ big challenge is to change the destructive might of the warrior who he has been for over a decade into the peaceful mender of the home from which he has been absent.

According to my husband, who spent his military career in special forces units, in Matt Damon‘s interpretation of Odysseus, the character recognized and eventually reacted to the atrocities of war, and of being the one who formed the plan that wiped out an entire city-state. The character Calypso, played by Charlize Theron differs from the 1997 Vanessa Williams. Rather than acting as a captor forcing Odysseus into marriage, the film adapts her character into a sympathetic caretaker who keeps Odysseus in a trance using lotus flowers to heal and shelter him from the anguish of his past (yes, while staying on her island as her lover). When she realizes that her desires are futile, she gives him back his memories, painful as they are, and allows him to leave, giving himself up entirely to the will of Poseidon, who, in turn (though not so much an obvious plot point), returns him to Ithaca. Odysseus’ warrior mind-set still had a necessary moment in the final outcome, though.

The killing of Penelope’s suitors is still a part of the story. Their brutal death is essential to re-establish Odysseus’ rightful authority, reclaim his stolen property, and protect his family. The suitors had committed ultimate taboos by violating the sacred Greek custom of hospitality, squandering his wealth, and plotting to murder his son, Telemachus. The sacred Greek custom of hospitality is called xenia. It is referred to as “Zeus’s law” in the movie, and it dictates that hosts provide travelers with food, shelter, baths, and gifts before ever asking their name. Rooted in deep religious duty, mistreating a guest carried severe consequences, as gods like Zeus Xenios were believed to wander Earth disguised as mortals.”

“The narrative relies on the massacre of the suitors for several crucial plot functions:

Divine Justice and Prophecy: The slaughter fulfills the prophecy of the blind prophet Tiresias, who commanded Odysseus to eliminate the men who plagued his home and make sacrifices to appease the god Poseidon.
Reclaiming Royal Authority: In ancient Greece, a king’s power was directly tied to his ability to protect his household. Allowing usurpers to consume his livestock and court his queen without consequences would signify his total loss of power.
Protecting the Bloodline: The suitors actively schemed to assassinate Telemachus to clear the path to the throne. Slaying them was the only way to ensure the safety of his heir and the continuity of his lineage.”

So … SPOILER ALERT!

In Homer’s writing, Odysseus is reunited with his father Laertes, and Athena intervenes to stop a blood feud with the suitors’ vengeful families and restore peace to Ithaca. Odysseus is then successfully restored as the King.

In the 1997 miniseries, the audience is left with a Hallmark ending: Odysseus sweeps Penelope into his arms and they are reunited in bliss to live happily ever after.

Not so in our Christopher Nolan interpretation, although his restoration of peace may refer more to the mental and emotional peace of Odysseus: The still regretful and physically injured Odysseus remains tormented by guilt and trauma from the Trojan War, and possibly by his brutal return home (perhaps a nod to our Vietnam Veterans). He decides to keep the promise he made in the underworld to a warrior whose death he inadvertently caused. He leaves Ithaca in the hands of his son, and he and Penelope board a ship to sail into the west to pay his respects to the men he lost and the soldiers he was unable to honor.

This may be a really geeky way to review this movie, but hey, I’m a geeky kinda gal. In this case, I think my students will benefit.

God bless you!

PS: There were a few curse words and very minor nudity. It was not anywhere near as bloody as I thought it might be.

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