The movies of Christopher Nolan have stood out for their narrative and visual style, as well as for the heavy topics the director often addresses. The most common ones are time, identity, and memory, and even in stories that are adapted from other sources, Nolan has found a way to bring in some of these themes and give the stories his unique touch.
That's exactly what Nolan is now doing with his project The Odyssey, an epic fantasy-action movie based on Homer's epic poem of the same name. What has earned The Odyssey so much attention and curiosity is its cast, with some former Nolan collaborators like Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page, and Benny Safdie, and new arrivals to the Nolanverse, such as Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, and Jon Bernthal. Now, with some plot details about The Odyssey confirmed, it also seems to be following a singular Hollywood trend surrounding Matt Damon.
The Odyssey Is Yet Another Movie About Matt Damon Trying To Get Back Home
Matt Damon's Characters Just Want To Return Home
Homer's The Odyssey tells the story of the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, Odysseus, on his journey to return home after the Trojan War to his wife, Penelope. On his way home, he comes across the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch goddess Circe. It's unknown if Nolan's adaptation will be loyal to Homer's poem or if it will take some creative liberties, but what's confirmed is that Matt Damon is playing Odysseus, and the first official look at The Odyssey shows him in full costume.
The confirmation of Damon leading The Odyssey as Odysseus also means that Nolan is continuing the weirdly specific Hollywood trend of Damon's characters trying to get back home. Although he has explored different genres throughout his acting career, Matt Damon now has a list of movies where he needs to be rescued, for different reasons. Among them are some movies where his character's main motivation and reason is to get back home, beginning with Saving Private Ryan, where he played the title character (and it's a self-explanatory title).
Damon starred in The Martian as Mark Whatey, a botanist astronaut on Mars looking for a way to survive while NASA tries to bring him home.
In Nolan's Interstellar, Damo's Dr. Mann has been living on a far-away planet researching to see if it's a suitable place for humanity. In an unexpected twist, Mann reveals his true intentions, which revolve around his desire to be rescued and taken back to Earth. The following year, Damon starred in The Martian as Mark Whatey, a botanist astronaut on Mars looking for a way to survive while NASA tries to bring him home. Now, Damon can add an epic fantasy to his list of movies where his character wants to get back home.
There Was No Better Choice For Christopher Nolan's Odysseus Than Matt Damon
The Odyssey Is Matt Damon & Christopher Nolan’s Third Collaboration
As mentioned, Matt Damon is one of the cast of The Odyssey and Damon's career, it was clear that he was going to lead this new adventure.
Should Christopher Nolan have made The Iliad before The Odyssey?
It's interesting, given that we've already seen The Iliad on the big screen with Troy, that Nolan is beginning with The Odyssey. I understand that these are two distinct stories, but I think it's important in the literary sense that The Iliad be read first. Maybe it's a nitpick, but since Troy is so inaccurate, I think it would've been great for Nolan to introduce readers to a more faithful depiction of the Trojan War.
Damon is no stranger to action, having starred in the Bourne movie series, and he knows how to handle dramatic roles quite well, making him the best choice to lead The Odyssey. Much like with Cillian Murphy, it was perhaps time for Damon and Nolan's regular collaborations to pay off with the actor in the lead role. It's to be seen how different The Odyssey will be from the original poem, as well as whom the rest of the cast will play and how much their stories will differ from the source, but Damon is a solid choice to lead it.
How The Odyssey Will Be Different From Matt Damon's Other "Rescue" Movies
There Will Be Less Focus On Matt Damon Needing To Be Rescued
Damon is both the obvious choice to play Odysseus and potentially a cliché because of this trend in his filmography. However, The Odyssey is likely to avoid the feeling of repeating the history of Damon's career due to its drastically different framing and tone. Notably, in both Interstellar and Saving Private Ryan, Damon's character doesn't appear until well into the movie and the focus of the story is more on his would-be rescuers. The Martian also greatly delves into the mechanics of Damon's hero's survival and his getting home, on both ends.
It is the ultimate journey story, an epic struggle between man and the gods with the grand visuals of the vast, dangerous sea.
In contrast, The Odyssey is largely from its main character's perspective, with him trying to "rescue" himself in the context of this comparison. It feels much less like a rescue of a singular figure when Odysseus is in the company of a crew who also wants to get home, with less pinned on him as a character in this sense. Finally, the setting and character of The Odyssey as a story will set it apart. It is the ultimate journey story, an epic struggle between man and the gods with the grand visuals of the vast, dangerous sea.
Matt Damon's Role In The Odyssey Could Define His Career Forever
Christopher Nolan May Be Delivering Another Instant Classic
Christopher Nolan finally has his Oscar, which may be enough for both the director and his fans as far as critical affirmations go. However, the announcement of The Odyssey only confirms that Nolan is by no means finished making sweeping epics with some of the biggest scales in Hollywood. Additionally, these movies are still creating career-defining roles for the actors in them. Cillian Murphy was hardly unknown when he starred in Oppenheimer, but there is no denying that this is now one of his most famous roles, possibly suring the likes of Tommy Shelby and the Scarecrow.
Matt Damon's Best Movies, Ranked
Academy Award-winning actor Matt Damon's career has seen him in understated dramas and over-the-top action films, but which of his movies is best?
The Odyssey could easily do the same for Matt Damon. Damon is one of the most prominent names in Hollywood for titles such as Saving Private Ryan and Good Will Hunting, the titular characters of which are universally recognizable. But Odysseus has been a legendary figure for literally thousands of years. If the newest iteration of his story can live up to the monumental mythos — and Nolan's track record suggests that it can — 20 years from now, this may be seen as the preeminent role in Damon's career, both presenting a new challenge for the actor and subverting the archetype he has quietly become known for.
