The Odyssey (Review)

[Puddingbuks]

What about the Indian sidekick he has on the boat ? Or the asian guy. Funny enough people just get riled up when there is people off color involved which really says it all , sadly .

The issue is when actors are cast specifically for their skin color or minority status, prioritizing forced diversity over authenticity and historical accuracy. Imagine being an actor and suspecting you only got a role to check a box—whether because of your race, sexuality, or disability.

My point isn't against inclusion or diversity itself, but rather against tokenism that overlooks making a great movie because of the story while being historically correct and showing true artistic intent.

 

[AudioJester]

The issue is when actors are cast specifically for their skin color or minority status, prioritizing forced diversity over authenticity and historical accuracy. Imagine being an actor and suspecting you only got a role to check a box—whether because of your race, sexuality, or disability.

My point isn't against inclusion or diversity itself, but rather against tokenism that overlooks making a great movie because of the story while being historically correct and showing true artistic intent.

Do you have a source for the casting decision?
Was she cast because of her talent or because she is black?

 

[Holmz]

Wow. Didn’t he say “reflect?”

Now I feel like Narcisus.

 

[Puddingbuks]

Do you have a source for the casting decision?
Was she cast because of her talent or because she is black?

It is well known that there are dei requirements if you want to make a movie, at least if you want a chance of winning an oscar or get support from companies like amazon.

 

[AudioJester]

It is well known that there are dei requirements if you want to make a movie, at least if you want a chance of winning an oscar or get support from companies like amazon.

Wait, so this whole fiasco is based on innuendo and speculation?

So any black actor cast in anything could only be there because of DEI?

 

[EERecordist]

I have seen the IMAX Odyssey in Dolby laser and ATMOS digital projection and optical projection on 70mm film.

The opportunities for IMAX film projection are very rare with an estimated 45 theaters in the world maintaining their IMAX 70mm projectors. If you can see it that way, I recommend it. Our vintage theater has relationships with directors releasing on film and shows vintage film prints in regular revivals, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey. So it will likely be shown in that format in future years as the prints move around.

In the digital projection, there were a few shots with muddled dialog which the director has had a problem with on some past movies. The digital version most people will see has been digitally color corrected. I did not notice any spatial sound.

In the early part of the movie the sound design uses gritty ambient sound to set the tone of a scene. Toward the end, there is the usual composed music to propel the narrative.

The most notable accomplishment of the director and crew was reviving IMAX 70mm optical filming on several Kodak Vision3 film stocks. An entirely new IMAX 70mm camera was built. Then the hours of film were edited on a flatbed and the projection prints were struck optically. That did result in some jarring scene changes as the lighting changed from sun to rainy storm to firelit. There are a lot of firelit scenes. In the optical projection there was only one scene with weak dialog mixing. The 70mm optical projection is beautifully clear and detailed.

I thought the main character acting, Odysseus, Penelope, Telemachus, and Calypso was excellent. The theme is timeless, the decline of civilization, here, the Law of Zeus, hospitality for strangers, as any stranger may be a god in disguise. There were many more themes, the impatience of teenagers, loyalty, magic and mysticism, loyalty in battle, and the afterlife. The battle scenes and other deaths were gritty, but not gratuitously distasteful.

More on the new cameras:

How Christopher Nolan Shot The Odyssey Entirely on IMAX Film – Inside the New Keighley Camera | CineD

How Nolan shot The Odyssey entirely on IMAX film: inside the new Keighley camera, the sound blimp, and life with 3-minute mags.

www.cined.com

 

[CD2]

I’m no historian, but I thought that the dark ages were between the 5th and 11th centuries, and that Homer preceded that?

"Dark ages" has more than one meaning. Here it means https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Dark_Ages

I'll take the occasion to drop a link re historicization: https://kiwihellenist.blogspot.com/2026/07/odyssey.html

For people worrying about historical accuracy: this like asking for an historically accurate superman movie. Superman uses historical material we can recognize, but it is about superhuman figures.

 

[Puddingbuks]

For people worrying about historical accuracy: this like asking for an historically accurate superman movie. Superman uses historical material we can recognize, but it is about superhuman figures.

A very flawed argument.

Talking about diversity, why does hollywood appropriate Greek heritage while sidelining the Greek people themselves?

Hollywood adaptations of Greek mythology like troy and 300 consistently cast Anglo-American or international A-list stars in every lead role, leaving modern Greek actors absent from their own foundational stories.

These studios generate hundreds of millions of dollars using Greek intellectual and mythological heritage without involving Greek creators or returning economic and cultural credit to the country of origin. How is that fair and diverse?

 

[Mart68]

A very flawed argument.

Talking about diversity, why does hollywood appropriate Greek heritage while sidelining the Greek people themselves?

Hollywood adaptations of Greek mythology like troy and 300 consistently cast Anglo-American or international A-list stars in every lead role, leaving modern Greek actors absent from their own foundational stories.

These studios generate hundreds of millions of dollars using Greek intellectual and mythological heritage without involving Greek creators or returning economic and cultural credit to the country of origin. How is that fair and diverse?

Here in England we're still waiting for the cheque for the cultural appropriation of Robin Hood. That should be a big pay day!

Seriously though, the purpose of a film is to make money for its backers. Not to benefit whatever culture it steals bits from. Possible that Greece will benefit from increased tourism as a result of this film in any case.

 

[Puddingbuks]

Point is that if they really think diversity is so important, they should have included some “real” Greek people.

 

[Keith_W]

So any black actor cast in anything could only be there because of DEI?

More accurate to say: if the character is meant to have a certain appearance, the casting choice should reflect that. Here are a few examples of actors who were miscast for the role:

 

[pderousse]

After reviewing the opinions expressed in this thread, I’ve changed my mind. People should definitely boycott the Odyssey because Nolan didn’t perform the epic in Homeric Greek dressed as a rhapsode as he traveled from city to city pounding out the ictus of the dactylic hexameter. I mean, un-metrical English translation, film, noisy soundtrack, gringo actors, dubious casting, accents, costumes? - all of it - so unhistorical. I‘ll take my Odyssey neat.

 

[CD2]

It is well known that there are dei requirements

IOW you have zero evidence, and you can't handle the obvious conclusion that Lupita Nyong'o was cast as Helen because she's an accomplished, well-known actress who's also gorgeous.

Once again, this is a movie with gods and monsters! It's fantasy. You tell on yourself.

 

[Puddingbuks]

IOW you have zero evidence, and you can't handle the obvious conclusion that Lupita Nyong'o was cast as Helen because she's an accomplished, well-known actress who's also gorgeous.

She is indeed a great actress, I agree. But that is not the point. Why not hire a Greek actress?

I have read numerous times about DEI requirements, but too lazy now, so I asked AI for evidence:

Evidence of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, benchmarks, or requirements in the film and television industry can be grouped into industry-wide award rules, studio-specific production guidelines, and streamer-backed funding frameworks.

1. Industry-Wide Mandates: The Academy Awards (Oscars)​

The most direct requirement across major film studios comes from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Starting with the 96th Academy Awards (2024), any movie competing for the Best Picture award must meet at least two out of four formal inclusion standards under the Academy’s RAISE (Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry) framework:

• Standard A (On-Screen Representation): Requires a lead actor or significant supporting actor from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group, at least 30% of secondary roles from underrepresented groups (women, LGBTQ+, racial minorities, or people with disabilities), or a main storyline centered on an underrepresented group.
• Standard B (Creative Leadership & Crew): Requires at least two department head positions (e.g., Director, Cinematographer, Writer, Editor) or at least 30% of the overall crew to come from underrepresented groups.
• Standard C (Industry Access): Requires paid apprenticeships, internships, and skill training programs for underrepresented groups provided by the studio/distributor.
• Standard D (Audience Development): Requires multiple senior marketing, publicity, or distribution executives from underrepresented groups.

Because studios heavily optimize their top-tier film slate for Oscar eligibility, these criteria function as operational benchmarks for major theatrical releases.

2. Amazon MGM Studios: Inclusion Policy & Playbook​

In June 2021, Amazon Studios (now Amazon MGM Studios) released an explicit Inclusion Policy and Inclusion Playbook for all original productions:

• Creative Leadership Targets: Set explicit targets for above-the-line creative roles (Directors, Writers, Producers), requiring minimum percentage thresholds for women and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups on productions.
• Authentic Casting Guidelines: Encourages casting actors whose identity (gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability) matches the character they play.
• On-Screen Character Inclusion: Requires projects to aim for diverse speaking roles across distinct demographic categories, ensuring balanced gender representation among underrepresented characters.
• Vendor Bidding Mandates: Requires production teams to seek at least three vendor/supplier bids for third-party services, with at least one coming from a woman-owned business and one from a minority-owned business.

3. Netflix: Creative Equity Fund & Inclusion Audits​

Netflix approaches DEI through a combination of production funding frameworks, internal benchmarks, and third-party auditing:

• Inclusion Audits: In partnership with the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Netflix publishes recurring, comprehensive audits analyzing gender, racial, and ethnic diversity across its global film and series slates (both in front of and behind the camera).
• Netflix Fund for Creative Equity: A $100 million commitment established to fund hiring pipelines, training programs, and direct opportunities for underrepresented creators globally.
• Production Guidelines: Netflix incorporates identity matching in casting and sets expectations for diverse representation in writers' rooms and production crews across its original programming.

4. Other Major Studios & Networks​

• Paramount / CBS: Established a policy requiring TV writers' rooms to be composed of at least 50% diverse writers across its broadcast and streaming slates.
• The Walt Disney Company: Maintains content advisory committees and diversity trackers across its creative hubs (Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, 20th Century Studios) to monitor demographic representation on screen and in creative departments.
• British Film Institute (BFI) & BAFTA: For UK co-productions or UK distribution, meeting the BFI Diversity Standards is mandatory to qualify for public film funding and major British award categories.

Summary Table: Key Inclusion Requirements​

Organization / Studio	Standard Type	Key Mechanism / Benchmark
Academy Awards	Award Eligibility	Must meet 2 of 4 RAISE standards (crew, cast, internships, or marketing) for Best Picture consideration.
Amazon MGM Studios	Production Policy	Strict inclusion playbook for above-the-line hiring, character representation, and minority vendor bidding.
Netflix	Audits & Funding	$100M Creative Equity Fund + USC Annenberg diversity benchmarking across all original slates.
Paramount / CBS	Writing Mandate	Target of 50% diverse representation in scripted television writers' rooms.
BFI / BAFTA (UK)	Funding & Eligibility	Mandatory compliance with 4 BFI Diversity Standards for UK funding and awards eligibility.

 

[Mart68]

She is indeed a great actress, I agree. But that is not the point. Why not hire a Greek actress?

Helen is the daughter of Zeus who mated with Lidia whilst disguised as a swan. Helen hatched from an egg. Zeus was the son of a Titan (Chronos) and lord alone knows what they were. Any ethnic/genetic connection to modern day Greeks would seem to be tangential at best.

 

[Prana Ferox]

There was no singing contest between the Welsh and the Zulus at the battle of Rorke's Drift but you don't see anyone complaining about that (or any of the many other accuracy problems with the film 'Zulu').

Zulu was made 60+ years ago and for obvious reasons any modern media criticism is going to burn its energy on bigger issues than the singing

 

[Mart68]

Zulu was made 60+ years ago and for obvious reasons any modern media criticism is going to burn its energy on bigger issues than the singing

But it has 97 percent critical and 91% punter rating on Rotten Tomatoes whereas the prequel, which is painstakingly historically accurate and consequently paints a much darker picture of the British, gets only 56/61.

Is it supposed to be a tale, or a documentary/re-enactment? If it's the former, then I think taking artistic licence is acceptable.

 

[pderousse]

Helen is the daughter of Zeus who mated with Lidia whilst disguised as a swan. Helen hatched from an egg. Zeus was the son of a Titan (Chronos) and lord alone knows what they were. Any ethnic/genetic connection to modern day Greeks would seem to be tangential at best.

Leda and Cronos

 

[Timcognito]

How many movies are there are with Jesus or any biblical character with someone of Northern European genetics and almost no Semites. The Greeks were seafaring culture directly above Africa and west of Turkey, and because there are few historical accounts from the time and mythical nature of Gods and heroes in the epic, I have zero issues with possibility of Helen of Troy being African. Without direct evidence of DEI this whole accusation sounds like some sort personal problem. Amondi Nyong'o is half Mexican. Is there problem with a Mexican playing Helen of Troy, like double DEi points. This whole topic is a bunch of hooey and leaves me wondering how the Gods were cast.

 

[pderousse]

Notice the areas where Greek influence spread during the Late Bronze Age or the time of the Trojan War. Later during the colonial period (700 B.C.-), Greek settlements peppered the whole of the Mediterrenean, including Africa. The first datable Greek colony (although there were many before this that do not reference a year) was at Cyrene (613 B.C.) or modern Lybia. By the time you get down into the Hellenistic era, Greek is the lingua franca of the entire Mediterrenean, with more speakers in northen Africa (particularly Alexandria) than perhaps in Europe. It is infact so prevalent, that by 270 B.C., famously, 70 Hebrew scholars from Alexandria, as knowledge of Hebrew was dying out, decided to save their culture by translating the Torah into Greek, whence comes part of the Bible. A great deal of the Greek texts that we now possess (definitely Homer, Euripides, Aeschylus, Sophokles, etc.), were preserved by scholars from northern Africa, who were affiliated with the Alexandrian library. The others were preserved later by Islamic scholars. This is all to say, that people who want their Helen to be white, also want to claim Greek heritage for Europeans, but I'm sorry, it just does not work that way.