Helen's Scars: A Review of Nolan's Odyssey

Authors

  • Dr Abigail C. Spanner University of Nottingham

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15353/et.v2i1.7372

Keywords:

Homer, Nolan's Odyssey, Review

Abstract

I have watched many film and TV Trojan War adaptations, and part of my enjoyment is seeing how other creatives interpret, reinterpret, and adapt the ancient Trojan War stories for the screen. In the context of a polarised society, it is unsurprising how much online discourse has surrounded Nolan’s version of the tales of Odysseus, from the casting decisions and costume design to the script and storytelling techniques, and much more. I am not here to address the controversies or exhausting extreme views spouted about how or how not to adapt Homer’s Odyssey, mostly because of the hypocrisy and double standards demonstrated so clearly. After all, Uberto Pasolini’s The Return (2024) did not garner half as much attention, likely because of the simple matter of Nolan being more famous. This review is concerned with the enjoyment of cinematic experiences and Nolan’s storytelling style. To put it another way, why are we here, and why is this worth talking about?

Author Biography

Dr Abigail C. Spanner , University of Nottingham

A Classicist specialising in Homeric reception studies, Quintan studies, transtextual characters from the Trojan War myth, and visual sensory studies in antiquity. I received my doctorate in Classics from the University of Nottingham (2022–2026), and I gained my Classics MA at Durham University (2020–2021), and my BA (with Honours) in Classical and Archaeological Studies and Comparative Literature with an Erasmus+ Year Abroad at the University of Kent (2016–2020). My Erasmus+ Year Abroad took place in Italy with Università Ca' Foscari and Venice International University as my host universities. During my PhD, my supervisors were Dr Emily Kneebone and Dr Oliver Thomas, and my viva examiners were Professor Helen Lovatt and Dr Calum Maciver.

Green background with gold text reading "Epic Threads" and "Volume 2-2026"

Downloads

Published

10.09.2026

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): Epic Threads Volume 2

Section

Reviews

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Dr Abigail C. Spanner

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This license enables reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.