Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey': A Director for Men
This opinion column by Valérie Catil critiques Christopher Nolan's film 'The Odyssey' (2026) and his broader body of work for consistently failing to portray convincing, multifaceted female characters. The author argues that Nolan's women are reduced to projection surfaces for male protagonists, categorized as subservient, traitors, or seductive witches. Specific examples include Penelope as a 'faithful, foolish housewife,' Calypso as a 'nurse,' and Athena as a supplicant to Odysseus. Even Circe, played by Samantha Morton, is swayed too easily by Odysseus's words compared to Homer's original. The column contrasts this with the character of Murphy in 'Interstellar' as a rare exception, then criticizes Florence Pugh's role in 'Oppenheimer' as regressive. The author connects Nolan's weak dialogue to an inability to understand women as real people, citing Simone de Beauvoir's concept of the 'eternal feminine.'
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