"The Odyssey" from director Christopher Nolan has logged an impressive sophomore weekend at the box office, making $87 million dollars — the second highest grossing rated-R movie ever.
The film has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, with some North Texas theaters even scheduling overnight showings to keep up with demand.
University of Dallas classics professor Dr. John Moss is writing a forthcoming book about The Odyssey. He joined NTX Now's Ron Corning to explain what makes the story so prolific, both as an epic poem that stayed relevant for thousands of years and now in this new Hollywood iteration.
These interview highlights have been edited for length and clarity. To hear the full conversation, click the 'listen' button above.
Renewed interest
Rather than expecting a scene-for-scene recreation of the epic, Moss said he entered the film without rigid expectations. He also acknowledged that it's bringing renewed interest to Homer's work.
"I owe Christopher Nolan a huge thank you," Moss said. "This has ignited some interest in the discipline."
While the adaptation departs from Homer's original poem in places, Moss believes one sequence succeeds in capturing something deeper than historical detail. The scenes featuring Circe, he said, effectively communicates the allegory embedded in Homer's work.
"Even if it wasn't like we read it in the book," Moss said. "The allegory of it, what was happening, I think that was actually well represented."
For Moss, that distinction matters. A film may not reproduce every event exactly as Homer wrote it, but it can still communicate the larger themes that have made The Odyssey endure for nearly three millennia.
The human condition
Asked why generations of students continue to connect with Homer, Moss said it goes beyond the adventure and mythology.
"It's the story, the humanity," he said. "The idea of expressing or dramatizing the human condition."
He says Odysseus is defined by his adaptability: his willingness to learn, change, and respond to every challenge. That's what Moss calls the enduring lesson of the text — the intrinsic humanness of the characters — and that Homer's genius lies in revealing experiences that transcend culture, race, and time.
"We all can relate to this human experience," he said. "That is the essence of what [Homer] is doing."
Critiques
Ironically, that timeless humanity is also where Moss believes the film falls somewhat short. Moss says Nolan's adaptation emphasizes action over motivation, altering what drives characters such as Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus. But he acknowledged why the filmmakers made those choices.
"They wanted more action," Moss said, describing Penelope as "a little more feisty" and Telemachus as "a little more lost."
For a work approaching 3,000 years old, Moss says The Odyssey continues to prove that while civilizations change, the questions at the heart of the human experience remain remarkably familiar.
Whether audiences leave the theater inspired by Nolan's spectacle or motivated to read Homer's work for the first time, Moss sees that renewed curiosity as a victory.
Ron Corning is a co-host of KERA's NTX Now. Got a tip? Email Ron at rcorning@kera.org.
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