Four important details left out of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey that completely alter the story
While Christopher Nolan's adaption of Homer's The Odyssey is almost three hours-long, the critically acclaimed director still struggled to fit everything in it from the original poem.
The Odyssey has been making headlines since its release on July 17 and, as of this weekend, it has made a staggering $652,000,000 at the global box office already, Variety reported.
The film is based on Homer's epic poem of the same name, which was composed in 725 to 675 BCE (making it older than the Bible).
The Odyssey compromises more than 12,000 lines broken down into 24 books, so it's safe to say that Nolan had his work cut out for him when he adapted it for his movie. He had to make some changes, including leaving some key parts out...
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Execution of disloyal servants
In terms of gore, Nolan's adaption of The Odyssey is somewhat tame to say there's a lot of conflict in it. For example, there's a scene when a woman in beheaded by troops during the Battle of Troy, but you don't actually see her get decapitated.
Hardly any of his movies have excessive gore – and this may have contributed to Nolan's decision to miss out the part of Homer's poem where 12 enslaved women are hanged.
In the poem, the women were disloyal to the household and slept with the suitors, says The Guardian, so Telemachus has them killed.
Circe’s relationship with Odysseus
If you've seen the movie, you'll definitely know about that scene where Circe transforms Odysseus' men into pigs – which is arguably the most gruesome moment in the whole of The Odyssey.
The film shows Circe spare Odysseus from her magic when he eventually comes looking for his missing men on her island. In the poem, however, Circe tries to use her magic on Odysseus but, because Hermes gives him a magical herb before he confronts her, he isn't impacted by her magic. The moment with Hermes isn't depicted in Nolan's adaption.
Another part of this storyline that isn't part of The Odyssey is that after Circe's magic fails to work Odysseus and he forces her to make his men human again, the pair become lovers. Odysseus and his crew then stay on her island for a year, according to The Tab.
Penelope's bed test
In Nolan's film, when Odysseus beats the rest of Penelope's suitors for her hand in marriage, he gives her the small figurine of Athena that she gifted him before his voyage to prove that he was her husband.
But in the poem, Penelope asks Odysseus to prove himself in a different way: she asks him to describe their marital bed, which only he knows is made from an olive tree.
The ending
If you don't want to know how Nolan's adoption ends, you might want to skip this part...
The Odyssey has a very different ending to that of Homer's poem. In the original source, the families of the suitors Odysseus killed form an angry mob. There's a brief battle between them and Odysseus before Athena intervenes on the orders of Zeus to make both sides agree on peace.
Odysseus then reclaims the throne as the king of Ithaca.
However, in the movie Odysseus and Penelope set sail together to chase the sunset following their long-awaited reunion, while their son, Telemachus, becomes king instead.
What Nolan has said about the backlash
Speaking to The Telegraph about the backlash he was getting about some of his film's inaccuracies before it was even released, Nolan said that it 'comes with the territory'.
"But look,” he went on, "these conversations that happen before people see the film – they’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet."
The Odyssey: What you need to know
Written: Between 725 BC and 675 BC, so more than 2,500 years ago
Based on a true story? Mostly no (cyclops aren’t real). Historians are unsure if the Trojan War really happened
Who wrote The Odyssey? Homer, but historians don't know much about him and debate if he is a single person or a group of poets
How long is the movie? 2hrs, 52mins - best go to the toilet beforehand
How much did The Odyssey cost to make? A cool $250 million
The Odyssey's box office performance so far: $639 million globally after its first two weekends
How long did it take to film The Odyssey? Principal photography took 91 days, so 13 weeks
Where was the movie filmed? The Hellenic Film Commission explained Nolan and co filmed at several locations in the Peloponnese, including Nestor’s Cave, Voidokilia Beach and Almyrolaka Beach, which are all on the island of Pylos; Methoni Castle, at a port town of the same name in southwestern Greece; and Acrocorinth, a monolith overlooking the ancient city of Corinth.
According to Vogue, filming also took place in Morocco, in Marrakech, Tahanaoute, El Haouz, Essaouira and Ouarzazate. The cast and crew were also spotted on the Sicilian island of Favignana, while they filmed in Iceland for the underworld scenes.
Continuing their whistlestop tour of Europe, the Odyssey team also filmed in Scotland, along the Moray Firth Coast and at Findlater Castle and Culbin Forest.
The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm vs normal cinema screens: Helpfully, the film's website shows different versions of the trailer in six different formats, all with different aspect ratios. You can see the difference between IMAX 70mm (warning you now, there are only 25 IMAX 70mm screens in the whole of the US) and the standard 35mm format.
The Odyssey is in cinemas now.
Topics: Christopher Nolan, Entertainment, Film and TV
Niamh Shackleton