The Odyssey (2026)

Intrinsic said:

I’m wondering what translation Nolan is going for or if he uses any at the beginning. I get random book related stuff promoted in my Instagram feed and recently one surrounding the Odyssey popped up (probably due to the algorithm knowing this movie is getting promoted). A little by memory and a little by GPT-fu.

The Odyssey opens with:

Ἄνδρα μοι ἔννεπε, μοῦσα, πολύτροπον… / Tell me, Muse, of the man, (polýtropon)”

And the word “πολύτροπον” / polýtropon literally translates as many turns (poly + tropos) .

Throughout many translations scholars have approached this is different ways. Some choose to say “the man of many ways” (Lattimore), “the man of twists and turns” (Fagles), and “that man skilled in all ways of contending” (Fitzgerald). Then in 2018 the first English translation by a woman came out and Emily Wilson went with “Tell me about a complicated man.” Of course Vox, the guardian, and feminists alike all splooged over this deconstructive, modern contemporary translation. Making it “more accessible” and altering the way we view Odysseus and the role the female characters play in the Epic.

Anyways, I just found the clip interesting and had no idea these arguments existed. Could say something about Nolan’s view knowing which translation he modeled the story off of?

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