From Oppenheimer’s bomb to Odysseus’ horse — Nolan returns to the guilt of men who changed the world

🎥 Odysseus through Nolan’s lens: The Odyssey hit theatres a week ago — hailed by many to be Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan’s most significant work of his career so far. Shot entirely on IMAX cameras in an unprecedented first, the film opened to the biggest debut of the British director’s career: USD 124.5 mn in the US and Canada, and USD 264 mn worldwide, surpassing his landmark The Dark Knight.

The plot: Nolan retells the story of the king of Ithaca and Trojan War hero Odysseus (Matt Damon) — focusing on his journey home: the horrors Odysseus and his soldiers face across raging seas, strange islands, witches, and terrifying gods, with Athena (Zendaya), goddess of wisdom, watching over his return. Meanwhile, another war is being fought in his palace, as suitors compete for the hand of his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway), led by Antinous (Robert Pattinson), while their son Telemachus (Tom Holland) stands by his mother against them.

Oppenheimer yesterday, Odysseus today: Nolan returns to the theme of guilt that haunts those who triumph in wars larger than themselves. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is celebrated as the architect of the Trojan Horse — the deception that finally broke Troy’s impenetrable walls after years of stalemate. But in the moment of victory, as Agamemnon’s forces pour into the city, Odysseus grasps the weight of the bloodshed he has caused. Nolan renders this moment with precision: the realization that military victory is a crushing defeat for humanity, in a way that recalls Oppenheimer’s lifelong torment over the bomb he built and the world it changed forever.

The moment Odysseus confronts his own guilt is revealed to the audience late — allowing us to understand that everything that befell him across years of wandering was nothing but penance for those sins, which perhaps began the moment he deceived the unfortunate Sinon. That moment transforms Odysseus from war hero and legend into something else: a man deceived by his own mind into believing the ends justify the means, haunted by the guilt of having destroyed the world.

Nolan deliberately sets aside some of the essential details of Homer’s original, including the “Nobody” plotline and the exchange between Odysseus and Polyphemus, son of the sea god Poseidon — which some regard as the origin of the curse. We suspect this was intentional: Odysseus’ curse was already real and self-made. He didn’t need to provoke the cyclops nor reveal his name for Poseidon’s wrath to follow him. In Nolan’s telling, the curse takes hold the moment Troy falls and the blood begins to flow.

What we liked: As ever, Nolan excels on the level of craft and visual storytelling. Dutch cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema’s work is stunning, and Swedish Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson’s score is equally impressive — confirming once again that the filmmaking team Nolan has built around him consistently delivers. The casting also works throughout: each character earns their place without distracting from the story, with Samantha Morton as Circe a particular standout.

The verdict: This is another polished entry in Nolan’s catalog — the kind of film that will be remembered. Despite running close to three hours, we didn’t feel a single dull moment — we were at the edge of our seats for most of it. The jokes about Nolan making films that demand special screens to be seen properly are well-earned — but we genuinely recommend seeking out IMAX to get the full experience.

WHERE TO WATCH- The Odyssey is screening at Vox Cinemas at City Center Almaza, Mall of Egypt, and Alexandria. You can also catch the film at City Stars Cinema, CFC and D5’s Scene Cinema, Cima Arkan, and Zawya. Watch the trailer on YouTube (watch, runtime: 2:32).