PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   A new Christopher Nolan film is typically met with the same level of excitement as Christ’s second coming — but something has felt distinctly off about his latest. The Odyssey is Christopher Nolan’s long-gestating adaptation of an ancient epic poem, a swords-and-sandals actioner that has been quietly developing within the director for two decades. Naturally, that means he’s had ample time to consider what his version of the classic Greek adventure would look like; in a recent interview with Time, he offered detailed explanations for everything from the surprisingly Batman-like armor worn by Benny Safdie’s Agamemnon to the puzzling casting of rapper Travis Scott as a bard.

Reading Nolan’s insights might have been charming, even intriguing, on their own. Unfortunately, they reached me just as the backlash against the famously private director seemed to peak. If you frequent X — formerly known as Twitter — with even half the frequency I do, you’ll have seen the growing wave of criticism threatening to sink Nolan’s Odyssey before it’s even launched. We all studied Homer’s epic in school, of course, but suddenly everyone claims to be an expert in ancient Greek customs and Bronze Age culture. None of Nolan’s choices are immune to intense, breathless scrutiny. Lupita Nyong’o playing Helen of Troy? Blasphemy, according to, well… racists. Robert Pattinson’s use of the word “daddy” in the latest trailer also caused some controversy. Not even the idea that Anne Hathaway’s Penelope — the composed, clever wife of the lost Odysseus (Matt Damon) — is actually “full of fury” was received well. It seems the entire world is losing its mind before the movie even debuts. But we need to calm down. I need to calm down.

No matter what Nolan reveals, few seem to have any confidence in his adaptation of The Odyssey. Even maintaining neutrality — which I’ve been attempting for months — comes with a heavy dose of doubt. I rolled my eyes when tickets for select IMAX screenings went on sale — and sold out within hours — a full year before the film was set to premiere. As Nolan has unveiled bits of his vision over time, I’ve found myself agreeing with some of the criticism. Travis Scott joining the cast to embody the link between oral poetry and rap, for instance, strikes me as a bit ridiculous. (Okay, very ridiculous.) Admittedly, I also winced slightly at The Odyssey’s loose approach to the source material, such as the modernized dialogue featured in the trailer. I’m a sucker for traditional “period piece” language, sue me!

But perhaps that’s the issue — or one of several — at the heart of all this backlash. I keep wondering what I would do if I were chosen to adapt The Odyssey, what I prefer to see in sword-and-sandal films, what I expect from the genre. Nolan clearly has his own vision… a truly, truly unique one… for Homer’s epic. Importantly, though, he’s the one with hundreds of millions of dollars at his disposal, the one with a proven track record of blockbuster filmmaking. He can reinterpret this story however he sees fit, and we can accept or reject whatever we like — but only after Nolan unveils the finished product in all its grandeur on the big screen.

Nolan is among the few modern directors who can ignite fan frenzy with little more than a title card and a dream. He’s beloved for good reason, but the bigger he becomes, the louder his critics seem to grow. The notion that his esteemed, Oscar-winning reputation could finally be tarnished by a poorly executed costume drama is irresistible to some commentators, even those unwilling to admit it. Add that to a cultural moment that demands constant discourse as a form of tribute, and it feels like everyone has already made up their minds about The Odyssey. But what we’ve glimpsed of the film represents barely a tenth of Nolan’s complete vision, especially for a story shot entirely on IMAX cameras and crafted to be experienced on the largest possible screen. It’s never entirely fair to tear apart a film before its release, but this rule applies twice over for a film that hasn’t even premiered yet.

Classists are already defending the translation Nolan plans to use in the film, but his interview with Time suggests a genuine interest in three different translations: Emily Wilson’s, E.V. Rieu’s, and Robert Fagles’. Even decisions some dismissed as speculative, like the gleaming silver armor of the Laestrygonian army shown in the latest trailer, may well have been justified in Nolan’s mind. There’s a chance not everything will make sense to us, but the director is willing to take the risk.

“Hopefully they’ll enjoy the film, even if they don’t agree with everything,” he told Time regarding audience reactions. “We had a lot of scientists complain about Interstellar. But you just don’t want people to think you approached it lightly.”

It’s impossible to predict how audiences will react once The Odyssey arrives in theaters, but by then it will officially be beyond Nolan’s control. Until now, however, we’d probably all feel much better if we simply relaxed and let the director steer the ship for a while longer.

The Odyssey hits theaters on July 17.