Nolan's Odyssey: What Makes a Good Adaptation?

Abstract

I believe all adaptations have value. In fact, it was obvious to me that Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the Odyssey was beneficial: this movie, and the fact that it was made by a well-known director, inspired those around me to learn about Homer and the Classics. All adaptations being worthwhile, however, does not automatically make every adaptation a good adaptation, or even a well-made one. As such, I asked myself these two questions while watching Nolan’s Odyssey: did the film successfully adapt the original poem, and was the film successful as a standalone work?