Why Christopher Nolan Changed The Odyssey’s Most Famous Scene

Christopher Nolan decided to change one famous scene in his latest epic, The Odyssey.

The Odyssey is Nolan’s adaptation of the Greek mythology surrounding Odysseus’s life after the Trojan War. Although The Odyssey is making some changes to the original story, the team has ensured that the film is authentic and larger than life through its on-location filming, real-life crowds, and dedication to detail. One change in particular, though, is being noted, given its importance to the story.

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Liam Crowley, when Anne Hathaway (Penelope) is asked about the olive tree, the bed inside the tree, and its omission from the film, Hathaway describes that it was a choice surrounding momentum and not straying from what was going on with the story. She also highlighted Penelope’s smart and calculating side, saying the moment could have been a clever “prank.”

Hathaway said,

“I feel like by that point of the film, the momentum of the film is with wondering whether or not Odysseus is going to live. And so taking a side trip to the bed chamber to be like, ‘Check out this bed…’ I feel like maybe that’s the unshot, unseen portion of their story in the days and weeks that followed, that moment, to the final moment, on the boat. I feel like she messed with him a little bit. I always thought of it as kind of like a prank.“

In the original story, Odysseus (now played by Matt Damon) created a bed frame from a giant olive tree. Their entire home surrounds the tree, making the bed immovable. The bed then acts as a symbol for their marriage’s strength, bond, and resilience. In the original story, when Penelope asks Odysseus to move it, it’s a test because although Odysseus was gone for a while, he would still know and understand its significance.

Hathaway’s comments could reflect that her character didn’t need to test her husband, and stopping the fast-paced narrative for an identity check of sorts would have stopped the pacing right before the final moments on the boat. Hathaway’s version of Penelope in the film, as noted by Crowley in the interview, is “built on hope.” Reinforcing this idea, and contrary to the original story, in Nolan’s version of The Odyssey, Odysseus remains romantically faithful to Penelope, and given Penelope’s insight and intelligence, she may have understood this.

Although The Odyssey is facing some critiques and backlash, Nolan is standing by his choices. Elon Musk tweeted, “Chris Nolan desecrated the Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award …” And a few days before that, political commentator Matt Walsh complained about casting choices, calling Nolan “technically talented but a coward. Too afraid to do anything that even slightly challenges the spirit of the age.” To which Musk replied, “True.”

The Odyssey is already breaking records, and at the time of this article, it has a 96% critics’ score and a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Beyond Damon and Hathaway, the movie features Lupita Nyong’o (Helen of Troy), Zendaya (Athena), Charlize Theron (Calypso), Tom Holland (Telemachus), Robert Pattinson (Antinous), John Leguizamo (Eumaeus), and Elliot Page (Sinon). There are also many other recognizable ensemble members, including Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, Samantha Morton, Himesh Patel, and Travis Scott.

Hathaway’s comments and the deliberate choice to remove the olive tree bedroom scene could be indicative of Penelope’s unwavering trust and hope in her husband even after the 20 years he has been gone. In the film, Hathaway’s choices as Penelope indicate a Stoic, quiet type of strength. Although she doesn’t test him on-screen, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t test him at all; audiences just don’t witness it happen.

This choice is also interesting because of what Nolan prioritizes. He chooses to allow the film to not only breathe, but launch into its final moments. ScreenRant‘s Alex Harrison described these final moments as, “The Odyssey’s lingering final note[s] suggests he’s [Nolan’s] getting more optimistic about humanity’s ability to endure our own worst impulses.” 

The Odyssey’s epic journey has officially landed and is now playing in theaters everywhere.