Free Republic

Nolan’s Odyssey is a massive boon to those who care about literature and the written word. Book versions of Homer’s epic poem have been selling like hotcakes in the wake of the film’s release. Just days after the film premiered, translations of the story had reached Nos. 4, 8, and 49 on Amazon’s bestsellers list, with a translation of the Iliad at No. 61. Nolan’s film “boosted sales” of the book enough to net a sales increase of 76% “across all editions,” including both text and audio versions of the tale, as Spotify revealed that listens to the audiobook on...

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has officially done what seemed almost impossible. The epic has overtaken Deadpool & Wolverine to become the highest-grossing R-rated Hollywood film of all time, with its worldwide box-office collection reaching a staggering $1.35 billion. The Odyssey opened in theatres on July 17 and collected around $123.5 million domestically during its opening weekend. Since then, the film has continued to add to its worldwide total, eventually crossing the $1.35 billion mark. Its current haul includes roughly $516 million from North America and more than $835 million internationally. The nearly three-hour adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek poem has...

Likely prompted by the runaway success of a certain classically oriented movie in theaters this summer, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned the oldest preserved fragment of The Odyssey to one of its galleries, where it can be seen and appreciated after a long time out of view. The relic is now on display in Gallery 162 in the museum’s section devoted to Greek and Roman Art. In a round-up of Odyssey-related collection treasures on its website, the Met describes the relic as the first early Ptolemaic fragment of the text ever discovered and notes: “Dating from around 285–250...

Written in ancient Greek poet Homer's "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad," the legends of the Trojan War and the lost city of Troy were believed to be nothing more than myth for centuries. But in 1860, a millionaire named Heinrich Schliemann set out on a relentless quest to prove the legends were real, uncovering ancient secrets and sparking a golden age of archaeology. In this full episode of The Legend of Troy: Epic Rise and Fall from National Geographic, explore ancient civilization and early archaeology in episode one, "The Schliemann Legacy." Finding the Lost City of Troy (Full Episode) |...

The Draken Harald Hårfagre is not modeled after a single historic ship, but an amalgamation of many Viking vessels described in stories. Viking Nilsson / Draken Harald Hårgfagre In Christopher Nolan’s new film adaptation of the Odyssey, Calypso is played by Charlize Theron, Odysseus by Matt Damon, and his ancient Greek sea vessel by Draken Harald Hårfagre—a completely functional Viking longship. The wooden ship, commissioned by Norwegian entrepreneur Sigurd Aase, is about 115 feet long and 25 feet wide and equipped with square sails and 50 long oars. Most importantly, it can actually traverse the sea—a necessity for Nolan’s loyalty...

Homer’s epic poem, “Odyssey,” is in the news lately, primarily because Christopher Nolan has produced a three-hour, and I can use the word impressionistic, retelling of the “Odyssey.” And a lot of people have criticized it; a lot of people like it. I’m gonna talk about the film later in one of our episodes, because I have now seen the new film, and Jack Fowler and Sami Wink and I have talked variously about it. But I wanted to today just talk about the “Odyssey” as a work of literature and history. A lot of people, I think, have the...

In Nolan's new adaptation of the Odyssey, Homer's epic poem about Odysseus's struggle to return to his kingdom in Ithaca after the Trojan War, the "People of the Sea" hang over the plot like a dark cloud -- a rumor of coming destroyers and harbingers of a dark age mentioned by multiple characters along the way... Let's clear up one thing first: No ancient text refers to this group by the name "Sea Peoples." This is a scholarly term popularized by the 18th-century Egyptologist Gaston Maspero to refer to a collection of groups that threatened New Kingdom Egypt... It was...

Christopher Nolan cited Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation of “The Odyssey” as an influence on his own interpretation of Homer’s epic poem while on the press tour for his latest blockbuster. Wilson is not returning the favor. In a negative review of Nolan’s “The Odyssey” for the London Review of Books (via The Guardian), Wilson criticized Nolan’s adaptation for lacking “psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth.” The author, who is also a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, added that Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has “nothing convincing to say.” “I had hoped that Nolan’s affinity with these Homeric themes...

I went into Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey expecting a cinematic event. Instead, I saw one of the worst movies ever made. I made it to the 90-minute mark before walking out, but I really should have bailed a half-hour in. We have been utterly bamboozled. As someone who appreciates a script that actually works, I can tell you this screenplay is nonsensical. Combine that with unwatchable lighting and completely incomprehensible audio, and the whole production just falls apart on screen. Matt Damon is completely miscast and entirely too soft to play Odysseus. Honestly, the campy old Steve Reeves movies or Sinbad...

I am asking your help. I will only see this movie if I am convinced that it's worth my three hours of time and money. THEREFORE, I am relying on my fellow Free Republic friends, WHO HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE, to give me their unabridged opinion. 1. 1 to 4 stars, how many stars would you give the movie? 2. Do you recommend the movie? Yes or No? 3. Any comments.

Painting depicting Odysseus and his crew at their ship (Odysseus tied to the mast), while Sirens are around them. John William Waterhouse, Ulysses and the Sirens (1891). Did this voyage take Odysseus to America? Credit: Public Domain For centuries, scholars and enthusiasts have debated where Odysseus truly traveled during his legendary journey back to Ithaca. Among the most intriguing theories is the notion that the hero ventured beyond the Mediterranean, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and reached the shores of what is now known as America. But what evidence supports this extraordinary claim, and does it truly align with Homer’s descriptions...

"Chris Nolan desecrated the Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award …" said Musk Now that Nolan's film is out to rave reviews from both critics and audiences, Musk has taken to X once again to share his plans to make a more "historically accurate" version of the film. "Before this year ends, Grok Imagine will make a full-length movie of The Odyssey that is historically accurate and true to the art of Homer," said Musk in a July 21 X post. That same day, he replied "I'm down" to a tweet asking him to give...

In another case of “the internet is not real life,” Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” opened above expectations last weekend, dominating the box office with a massive $264 million global launch. This despite a months-long campaign from far right individuals on social media lamenting Nolan’s decision to cast Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy (a character who is in the film for all of three minutes) and Elliot Page as Achilles (Page did not, in fact, play Achilles). The conservative backlash intensified when Elon Musk endorsed complaints against “The Odyssey” and kept tweeting about how the film was doomed to fail....

In the span of about an hour, the X owner replied “I’m down” to a viral pitch asking him to hand Mel Gibson $100 million for a historically accurate adaptation in Homeric Greek. Then he pinned a post vowing that his own AI video generator will produce a feature-length version of Homer’s epic before the year is out. “Before this year ends, Grok Imagine will make a full-length movie of The Odyssey that is historically accurate and true to the art of Homer,” Musk wrote. The Pinned Pledge: A Grok-Made Odyssey By DecemberThe Grok post is the concrete one. Musk...

Turning beloved stories woke or repurposing destroyed monuments is the beginning of a process that ends with real violence. t was difficult to peruse social media last week without seeing a steady stream of reactions and reviews of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey — a film that had already prompted, weeks before its premiere, mountains of derisive commentary for its purportedly woke casting choices, strangely modern costumes, American accents, and flat color palette. But now that the film is out, reviews have been largely positive. Fears of a wokeified epic mocking the heroic age of the West turned out to have...

Nolan’s movie keeps the spectacle, but cuts the moral heart out of Homer’s timeless classic. Christopher Nolan’s audacity to gut one of the greatest stories ever told of its themes, meaning, and essence is an unforgivable sin that can only have been perpetrated by Hades or Hollywood. The only reason Nolan’s Odyssey is winning praise at the box office is that we stopped teaching the Classics a hundred years ago, and with it, education itself. Homer’s most important lessons do not even make the screen. What he replaces them with is an assault on the heroic and divine world of...

“When we did the forced perspective stuff of the Laestrygonians ... there were these stunt men who were all seven feet,” he said, referring to the intimidating, armor-clad foes Odysseus and his men face during an island stop. “And then they got stuntmen who were under five feet. And so my double was a woman, a female stunt performer who had the greatest arms I’ve ever seen.” He continued, “And when she came into the catering tent, [it] was the first time I ever met her. I went up and I hugged herand I thanked her for all the work...

There’s a short list of Hollywood directors who can turn practically anything into a massive global hit: Ryan Coogler, Greta Gerwig, James Cameron. But Christopher Nolan is in a class by himself. Of the eight movies he’s released since 2008, only one has failed to clear half a billion dollars at the box office, and even Tenet still managed to gross more than $300 million in the middle of a pandemic. He turned a three-hour biopic about a nuclear physicist into a nearly billion-dollar smash, and with The Odyssey notching Nolan’s biggest opening weekend yet, with $264 million worldwide, it’s...

THE SPIN BEGINS: "'The Odyssey' seizes $124M opening in BOX OFFICE TRIUMPH." "2026's biggest live-action debut." What they DON'T tell you: It's only the THIRD biggest opening of the year, behind "Toy Story 5" and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie." TRANSLATION: Not as good as a talking toy and a video game movie. They don't tell you it likely needs around $800 million worldwide just to break even. Not to make a profit. Just to break even. And the studio typically keeps only about 50–55% of the domestic gate - and less internationally. And the $139.6 million from 73 international...

A new trailer for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has sparked a strong reaction online, with more dislikes than likes appearing on YouTube. The film, which is set to release in July and stars Matt Damon, Zendaya, and a large ensemble cast, has quickly become one of the most talked-about movies of 2026. The information comes from viewer reactions on YouTube and wider reporting on the trailer’s reception. Many viewers have focused on what they see as modern-style dialogue and casting choices that do not match expectations of historical accuracy. Some people online say the characters sound too contemporary, while others...