During the release of the blockbuster "The Odyssey" in China, the director had an interview with political philosophy lecturer and podcast host Zhong Shu in Beijing. Their discussion covered the decline of civilization, heroism, and contemporary film criticism.

Zhong Shu asked whether cinema today can still build heroic figures, given the public's increasing demand for characters to self-reflect and take responsibility for their mistakes. In response, Nolan objected to critical criteria that overemphasize whether a character can evoke audience empathy, arguing this inadvertently pressures filmmakers.

"There is a type of criticism that believes a character is only successful if they make the audience empathize", he said. "Because of that thinking, many creators try to adjust or change characters to make viewers like them more. In my opinion, this is a fundamental flaw in film criticism."

According to Nolan, Odysseus in "The Odyssey" exemplifies a character who cannot be simply judged by the criterion of "deserving empathy". In his version, the king of Ithaca is a military genius who must live with the consequences of his decisions in the Trojan War. The crucial aspect is not whether audiences like or forgive the character, but rather his journey in confronting the choices and consequences he bears.

The director also refuted the idea that a storytelling device loses its effectiveness once viewers understand how it operates. "The fact that audiences recognize the mechanism of a technique does not mean it no longer works. Storytelling does not function that way", he stated.

Nolan explained that cinema has formed a "common language" over more than a century of development. Filmmakers always create based on conventions that audiences are familiar with, while also seeking to transform or break them to create new experiences. "We use that common language to tell stories. Audiences have seen many films and they understand this language", the director said.

Nolan did not mention any specific reviews. However, his work sparked debate after Emily Wilson, the first woman to translate "The Odyssey" into English, suggested the film was grand but lacked depth. In an article in the London Review of Books in late July, Wilson commented that the film failed to explore the core issues of Homer's epic. The primary reason, she noted, lay in the character development. She did not feel the characters' emotions as she did in the original work, because the film did not provide enough reason for her to empathize with Odysseus's journey home.

"I had hoped Nolan's resonance with the themes in Homer's epic would help him create new creative breakthroughs, while also building compelling characters", she wrote. "However, 'The Odyssey' showcases the familiar combination of grandiosity and superficiality in his films. The film's vision is too convoluted, and the characters are not developed deeply enough to convey the profound ideas the film suggests."

Writer Joyce Carol Oates subsequently defended Nolan, criticizing Wilson for exhibiting a "dismissive and condescending tone" when reviewing the film. Oates stated Wilson should approach Nolan's interpretation of Homer's epic in a spirit of academic exchange rather than rejecting the work.

Also in the interview, the director suggested that professional critics generally understand the necessity of storytelling techniques. Hollywood has established a "common language" over more than a century, creating a system of conventions that both audiences and filmmakers recognize. Directors can break, transform, or shift these conventions, but must remain aware of them when creating their work.

According to SCMP, the conversation between Nolan and Zhong Shu went viral on social media, attracting over 20 million views on Bilibili and other platforms. Journalist and MC Geoff Keighley called it a "fascinating and intelligent" exchange, while some entertainment industry professionals considered it one of Nolan's most notable interviews while promoting "The Odyssey".

Nolan's "The Odyssey" adapts Homer's Greek epic, recounting Odysseus's journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway plays his wife Penelope, and Tom Holland portrays their son Telemachus. The film also features Zendaya as the goddess Athena, Charlize Theron as the nymph Calypso, and Robert Pattinson as Antinous.

The director not only retells Odysseus's homecoming but explores the trauma, guilt, and aftermath of war. The Trojan War becomes a starting point for a story about survivors, in which Odysseus must confront past sins and choices. This interpretation allows the work to transcend the confines of a mythological adventure film, raising issues such as violence, forgiveness, and the struggle for self-discovery.

Christopher Nolan, 56, is a British-American director who began filmmaking in 1998, achieving renown with "Memento", "The Dark Knight", "Inception", "Interstellar", "Dunkirk", and "Oppenheimer". Throughout his career, Nolan has received numerous prestigious awards and was listed by Time magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015 and 2019. In 12/2024, the director and his wife were knighted by King Charles III for their significant contributions to cinema.

Cat Tien (via Independent)