Christopher Nolan Discusses Why He Omitted a 3,000-Year-Old Joke From ‘The Odyssey’

‘The Odyssey‘ has been making waves in the entertainment news lately, not just for its impressive scale. Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic poem has garnered attention due to its IMAX Film Camera production, a vast ensemble cast, and its effort to modernize a nearly 3,000-year-old narrative for today’s audience. However, this willingness to update the material had its limits.

During a recent appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to promote the film, Nolan discussed a specific element from the source material that was left out. Stewart shared that he had watched the film with a colleague who had studied the original Greek text, and while they enjoyed the movie, there was one notable complaint.

Stewart pointed out that Odysseus delivers a particular joke to the Cyclops in Homer’s original version, and the absence of this joke in the film disappointed his friend. Nolan responded with a touch of humor before explaining his reasoning. He noted that it was a pun, and puns can be challenging to translate, admitting that he tried but ultimately could not incorporate it.

The joke in question is one of the oldest and most renowned puns in Western literature. In Homer’s telling, Odysseus tells the Cyclops Polyphemus that his name is Nobody, or Outis in Greek. After Odysseus blinds Polyphemus, the Cyclops cries out for help, only to confuse the other Cyclopes by claiming that Nobody is attacking him, leading them to leave in confusion.

This clever trick mirrors the deception of the Trojan Horse later in the narrative, and the layers of wordplay deepen as one delves into the original Greek text. Due to the intricacies of the humor relying on specific linguistic nuances, Nolan found it impossible to preserve the joke when translating it into modern English.

Stewart was also curious about how Nolan depicted the Trojan Horse during their conversation. The director revealed that he had always envisioned the horse half-buried in sand near the shore, rather than the conventional image of it being wheeled to the gates of Troy. This image had lingered in his mind for years, stemming from a previous attachment to direct a film based on the Iliad, and it became a guiding principle for the entire production.

Fans and critics have largely appreciated Nolan’s candidness during this exchange, with many noting that attempting to force a Greek pun into English dialogue could have come off as awkward or distracting on screen. Others simply enjoyed watching two prominent admirers of Nolan, including Stewart, geek out over one of the most analyzed texts in literary history.

‘The Odyssey’ premiered in theaters on July 17, following preview screenings the night before. The film features Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Bill Irwin as Polyphemus, Samantha Morton as Circe, and Charlize Theron as Calypso, with Robert Pattinson portraying the suitor Antinous and John Leguizamo as the loyal servant Eumaeus.

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