089 THE ODYSSEY

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey gives us a lot to talk about — from Zeus’s Law and the shame of returning home, to the idea that Homer’s epic may ultimately be one of the oldest and most powerful stories ever told about a soldier trying to find his way back to his family. In this episode of Cinemental, we dig into why the theme of being ashamed to come home works so well, how The Odyssey can be read as a metaphor for the soldier’s journey after war, and why the relationship between fathers and sons sits at the emotional center of the story. We also get into Zeus’s Law and the ancient concept of hospitality, the choices Nolan makes in adapting Homer for a modern audience, and why this story has survived for nearly three thousand years. We also have some opinions. Jeff explains why he thinks translator Emily Wilson is completely wrong in some of her criticism of the film, and why he has a very hard time taking seriously anyone who says they genuinely hated The Odyssey. You can dislike choices. You can argue about adaptation. But hate it? Come on. And for this week’s Top 5, we look beyond Homer and pick five stories from the classical world that deserve their own major film adaptation. Gods, warriors, monsters, tragedies, impossible choices — Hollywood has barely scratched the surface of what’s sitting there waiting to be adapted. If you’re interested in The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan, Homer, Greek mythology, classical literature, screenwriting, filmmaking, storytelling, film criticism, or the psychology behind great stories, this episode is for you. Cinemental is a podcast about movies, psychology, storytelling, and why the stories we love affect us the way they do.