Elliot Page’s ‘Odyssey’ Scene Sparks Achilles Comparisons Despite No Achilles

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ has been thoroughly analyzed since its release, with fans and critics examining how faithfully the director adapted Homer’s ancient text for the screen.

Much of the focus has been on Elliot Page’s character Sinon, whose casting ended months of speculation about whether the actor would portray the iconic warrior Achilles. Now that audiences have seen the film, a new debate has arisen regarding how closely Nolan has drawn that connection.

The film’s interpretation of the underworld sequence has become a significant topic of discussion online. In Homer’s original poem, Odysseus journeys to the land of the dead and converses with the ghost of Achilles, who famously expresses a preference for being a lowborn servant rather than ruling over the dead. Nolan’s version replaces this famous exchange with a scene between Odysseus and the ghost of Sinon, a character who does not appear in Homer’s ‘Odyssey’.

This change has led fans to argue that Page’s Sinon effectively serves as a stand-in for Achilles, even without the name being mentioned. One widely shared post responding to a clip from the scene suggested that although Achilles himself is absent from the movie, Sinon is introduced as a ghost who acts as a proxy for Achilles. Another user bluntly questioned Nolan’s creative choices.

The comparison holds some merit. Page’s Sinon explains to Odysseus the nature of death and mentions that the departed await news from the living, echoing Achilles’ request for updates from the world above in Homer’s version. Sinon emerges from the ground, muddy and angry that Odysseus lied to ensure his death, claiming he would have died for Odysseus regardless of the comfort of dying alone.

Sinon’s role in the underworld is itself a departure from the source material. The character does not originate from Homer’s writing but is instead drawn from Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’, where he is depicted as Odysseus’ cousin and the soldier who persuades the Trojans to bring the wooden horse into their city by claiming the Greeks have abandoned him. Nolan’s film also loosely connects Sinon to Elpenor, another crew member from Homer’s underworld sequence who dies from a fall and is the first spirit Odysseus encounters among the dead.

The Achilles theory has lingered even after casting was clarified. It became a focal point in the broader backlash against the film’s casting decisions, alongside criticism of Lupita Nyong’o’s role as Helen of Troy and commentary from figures like Elon Musk. Nolan has publicly dismissed this backlash as irrelevant, and Page’s scene appears to function as intended, evoking Achilles’ spirit without literally resurrecting the character.

With ‘The Odyssey’ now in theaters, the Sinon scene is likely to remain one of the most discussed deviations from Homer in Nolan’s adaptation. Whether audiences view it as a clever blend of myths or an unnecessary alteration, it has undeniably sparked conversation.

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