How Homer’s “Odyssey” fascinates filmmakers, including Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan will direct a film adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. | Photo credit: Reuters

Universal Studios announced that Christopher Nolan will direct a film adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, the classic Greek epic that chronicles Odysseus’ challenging journey home after the Trojan War.

The epic was written around 750 and 650 BC. Written in Greek. It tells the decades-long journey of Odysseus, who tries to return to his homeland of Ithaca after the events of the Trojan War. The story delves into a world populated by gods, mythical creatures and complicated legends. The focus is on the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca.

Set against the backdrop of ancient Greece, the story links the fates of deities, mortals and monsters. The story begins with Odysseus’ imprisonment on the island of Ogygia, a decade after the Trojan War. Although the gods help him escape, the sea god Poseidon leaves him shipwrecked on Scheria. Odysseus’ journey home is full of challenges and dangers. The Odyssey is considered a cornerstone of Western literature and remains one of the earliest literary works that is still widely read.

The first English translation of the Odyssey appeared in the 16th century and the work has inspired countless adaptations and reinterpretations in various media, including numerous theater productions and films.

Here are some of the films based on “Odyssey”:

1. The 2011 Canadian film “Keyhole” directed by Guy Maddin.

2. The Italian film “The Lion of Thebes”, released in 1964, written and directed by Giorgio Ferroni.

3. “The Mysterious Island,” a 1905 French silent short film created by Georges Méliès.

4. “Nostos: The Return,” a 1989 Italian adventure drama directed by Franco Piavoli.

5. “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, a 2000 satirical comedy-drama musical film, was written, produced, co-edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and is loosely based on “The Odyssey.”

6. “L’Odissea”, a 1911 Italian silent film, an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey.

7. “The Return”, a drama film scheduled for release in 2024, directed by Uberto Pasolini and starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, tells the final stages of Homer’s Odyssey in the adaptation by Edward Bond, John Collee and Pasolini .

8. “The Return of Ringo,” a 1965 Italian film directed by Duccio Tessari

9. “Ulysses,” a 1954 fantasy adventure film directed by Mario Camerini, who co-wrote the screenplay with Franco Brusati

10. “Ulysses vs. the Son of Hercules,” a 1962 peplum film directed by Mario Caiano

11. “Ulysses’ Gaze,” a 1995 internationally co-produced war drama directed by Theo Angelopoulos