‘The Odyssey’ Explained Why Robert Pattinson’s Antinous Missed the Trojan War in Nolan’s Epic
Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic poem is reviving ancient Greece on the big screen, featuring a star-studded cast. Robert Pattinson takes on the role of Antinous, the most ruthless of Penelope’s suitors, and his absence from the Trojan War has sparked discussions among viewers eager to connect the mythology with the film.
This film is a grand interpretation of Homer’s tale, shot across various countries using IMAX film cameras, and is set to hit theaters on July 17. As Matt Damon’s Odysseus embarks on his journey home after years of conflict and wandering, the significance of who fought at Troy and who remained behind becomes more crucial than casual viewers might realize.
Antinous is portrayed as one of the most aggressive suitors vying for Penelope’s affection after Odysseus goes missing following the Trojan War. With the throne of Ithaca at stake, Antinous makes his ambitions clear. He is not a soldier returning from battle; rather, he is a nobleman who has taken over Odysseus’ household during the king’s presumed absence.
In Nolan’s film, Pattinson embodies Antinous, the main antagonist among Penelope’s suitors. This characterization aligns with the original poem, where Antinous never participates in any battles outside of Ithaca.
Mythology identifies him as Antinous, son of Eupeithes, one of Penelope’s chief suitors in Homer’s ‘Odyssey’. His entire narrative unfolds at home while the war rages elsewhere, explaining why he was never involved in the fighting at Troy.
The simplest explanation for Antinous’ absence from Troy is that he belongs to a generation that came of age after the Trojan War had begun or, in some interpretations, after it had concluded. He is a suitor who arrives to court Penelope once rumors suggest Odysseus may never return, rather than a warrior who sailed with the Greek fleet.
Homer’s text supports this notion, presenting Antinous as a violent, arrogant character who willfully desecrates Odysseus’ home while the hero is lost at sea. Throughout the events of the poem, he remains on Ithaca, indulging in feasting and scheming, firmly outside the timeline of the war.
His actions reveal a man more focused on political maneuvering than combat. In a plot to kill Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, Antinous sends a group of suitors to intercept the young prince on his return to Ithaca. However, the plan fails as Telemachus evades the trap with assistance from the goddess Athena. This is the closest Antinous ever comes to a battlefield strategy, aimed at a teenager rather than a Trojan warrior.
Antinous also represents a betrayal of Greek social norms rather than martial honor. He is notorious for disregarding the custom of xenia, or guest-friend hospitality, as he and his fellow suitors consume Odysseus’ livestock without offering respect or stories in return. This behavior, not warfare, defines his role in the narrative.
The film presents Antinous as a symbol of the chaos in Ithaca during Odysseus’ absence. He is referred to as Antinous, son of Eupeithes, with his voice narrating the film’s teaser, reflecting on a kingdom left without leadership. In the teaser, he states, “Darkness. Zeus’ laws smashed to pieces. A kingdom without a king since my master died. He knew it was an unwinnable war, and then somehow, somehow he won it.”
This line encapsulates the dynamic at play. Antinous discusses the war from a distance, as someone who has only heard about Odysseus’ victory rather than experienced it firsthand. The trailer reportedly emphasizes this villainy, showcasing Pattinson prominently as Antinous, a scheming character attempting to seize the throne of Ithaca.
Pattinson’s casting aligns with a trend for Nolan, who has collaborated with the actor twice now. Pattinson previously worked with Nolan on ‘Tenet’, and this time he portrays the most despicable of Penelope’s suitors. Their history of collaboration seems to have given Nolan confidence in casting Pattinson for one of the story’s most detestable roles.
Without revealing too much for those unfamiliar with the source material, Antinous does not receive a redemption arc. In Homer’s original text, he meets a brutal end, struck in the throat by an arrow, causing him to fall and drop his cup, with blood gushing from his nostrils. This swift demise is particularly poignant for a suitor who never faced the horrors of Troy.
His death carries symbolic significance, as Odysseus’s leadership is often celebrated for eliminating the most aggressive suitor, Antinous, first, creating chaos among the remaining men who had taken over his home. It marks a moment of reckoning for a character who enjoyed the spoils of a war he never fought.
‘The Odyssey’ arrives in theaters on July 17, and with Pattinson’s teaser lines already igniting discussions online, audiences will soon witness how Nolan depicts the downfall of the suitor who spoke of Troy without ever having to endure it. What do you think Antinous deserved more, a battlefield death at Troy or the humiliating fate Homer ultimately assigned him?