BW Media Spotlight

Before I start this commentary I want it on the record that I am not trashing “a movie you haven’t seen yet” or Christopher Nolan at all. He’s earned his fanbase and every accolade he’s received. I am going by the marketing alone, including interviews and reports by film experts, and the realization that not every person is the right fit for every project. John Hughes shouldn’t remake A Nightmare On Elm Street and Wes Anderson shouldn’t remake Sixteen Candles. Even if they were both still alive and in the business. In the same perspective I’m not sure Nolan was the right fit for Batman and based on what’s out there now he’s not the right fit for The Odyssey at all.

We’re not talking about some of the culture war related issues, but let’s get that out of the way now. Elliot Page playing Achilles is still just rumor and a way to clown on the fact that Hollywood would indeed make a decision that dumb. Whatever your views on the former Ellen Page changing forms, Page is skinner than me and I’m make a terrible Achilles because he didn’t have a gut but did have actual muscles. The man was a Greek soldier. It goes with the territory. All the Styx dip did was make him invulnerable except in the one place he got shot, but we’ll come back to him. As far as the Helen race swap, that’s a level of cultural and historical stupidity I’m not even going to touch lest we go off-topic for this site. It’s inaccurate whatever someone’s attorney’s neighbor’s second cousin twice removed told them, though I’ll note for the topic that he did the same for Commissioner Gordon and Catwoman. Anything else, like the translation Nolan has been seen praising, JesterBell has already covered.

No, it’s that Nolan wants to “ground” the story in “historical accuracy”, except for the parts he doesn’t, but I point you to the link in the previous sentence. The Odyssey is not really a myth. It’s not even religion. Homer is not St. Matthew, he’s the guy who wrote the Olympian version of Touched By An Angel, a story inspired by religion. Even The Iliad starts with three goddesses forcing a man to judge their beauty pageant and then bribing said judge, but you could almost ground that one just by having Paris and Helen run off together. The only other magical element is a man who can’t be stabbed or shot depending on his footwear to cover his one weak point. (I tried to find the “maximum damage” quote but Google Search AI isn’t as smart as Google thinks it is.) Just make really good armor…it’s not like they’re getting that historically accurate. Just don’t go full Iron Man…although I admittedly would watch that movie. However, The Odyssey, it’s sequel, is totally filled with the very things Nolan wants to avoid.

At issue here isn’t whether or not Nolan is a good director, or even if his Batman movies were good. I own Batman Begins on DVD with no regrets. It’s whether or not his gritty, grounded takes fit the world of Batman or the adventures of Odysseus. While Batman doesn’t deal with the fantastic as often, it’s still very much there even if it isn’t close to Odysseus’s level, unless you count the times Batman hangs out with the Justice League thanks to Wonder Woman being a member. He’s met the Greek gods and goddesses and one dude who thinks he’s Zeus. (I wonder if Maxie Zeus ever met the real deal?) That’s why Nolan’s take on Batman should have prepared you for the same adaptation errors he’s talking about making, and we can start with the Clown Prince Of Crime himself.

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