More postmodern than ancient: why the Odyssey is everywhere, from Oz to Westeros

Christopher Nolan's new film 'The Odyssey' promises spectacular effects, shocks, and thrills, taking audiences inside the Cyclops' cave, to the land of the dead, and through stormy seas. Yet, as a journalist who has read the Odyssey multiple times notes, the ancient Greek poem, committed to writing around 600-500 BC, is far more than an adventure story.

Attributed to Homer, the poem actually draws on a long oral tradition. In the 1930s, American classicist Milman Parry demonstrated that the Odyssey and the Iliad are written versions of songs performed by bards using memory and improvisation. The journalist suggests that the bard's performance in a dark king's hall might have been more thrilling than any modern cinema.

The Odyssey's influence on global culture is immense. Classicist Daniel Mendelsohn lists works like Dante's 'Inferno', 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', 'The Wizard of Oz', 'Finding Nemo', 'Gladiator', 'Pride and Prejudice', and 'Game of Thrones' as containing Odyssey motifs. More explicitly, James Joyce's 'Ulysses', Derek Walcott's 'Omeros', Madeline Miller's 'Circe', and Margaret Atwood's 'The Penelopiad' directly engage with the epic.

The plot revolves around Odysseus's return home from the Trojan War, his wife Penelope and son Telemachus battling persistent suitors. Odysseus arrives in disguise as a beggar, testing loyalty before revealing himself. The journalist notes his own reading has evolved; after reporting from Ukraine, he sees parallels with modern soldiers returning from war.

The poem raises fundamental questions about leadership, revenge, marriage, and reintegration. Nolan's film, which opens on July 17, will likely prompt audiences to reconsider these timeless issues.