Fans were surprised to hear American accents in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, the film’s latest trailer sparking fierce backlash.

The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachu and Anne Hathaway as Penelope, alongside Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Zendaya.

Critics Think Christopher Nolan's ‘The Odyssey’ Is Too Modern

Nolan's upcoming adaption of the Ancient Greek epic has been criticized for a lack of historical accuracy, but the latest trailer ignited social media uproar.

Hollywood historical fiction is rarely historically accurate (with notable exceptions from director Robert Eggers), but online commentators were very surprised to hear American accents in The Odyssey.

In film and television, depictions of the past align with contemporary audience expectations, but for many Nolan fans, The Odyssey’s accents and dialogue crossed a sacred line.

One clip showing Matt Damon's Odysseus shouting “Let’s go!” before charging into battle proved particularly controversial, with some commentators comparing the footage to a superhero movie.

Critics also noted that the armor, weapons and shields seen in previews of The Odyssey are far removed from the striking bronze pieces of the time period.

The film’s aesthetic seems closer to Game of Thrones and Dark Souls than Ancient Greece.

It surely would have been interesting to see Nolan attempt to accurately replicate the time period, but history can only be viewed through a contemporary lens—stories change, depending on the audience and the era.

Depictions Of The Past Are Always Modern

The Odyssey backlash highlights the tension between historical accuracy and established tropes—audiences associate historical figures with British accents, even if the setting has nothing to do with the UK.

Generally, viewers also expect to hear British accents in quasi-medieval fantasy worlds—admittedly, it would be rather jarring to watch a version of The Lord of the Rings in which Gandalf and Frodo spoke like suburban Americans, despite the fact that Middle-Earth isn’t England.

In the case of The Odyssey, an English actor speaking in a modern regional accent is no more accurate to Ancient Greece than an American performer, but viewers have come to associate depictions of the past with Britain, even in a Mediterranean setting.

Historical fiction is known to diminish the gaudy color palette of the ancient world—dull, grey castles and grungy peasants wearing shades of brown align with audience expectations, rather than historical reality.

In past time periods, brightly colored pigments were often associated with wealth and power, but today, those same shades could invoke plastic and cheap paint.

Viewers expect depictions of the past to adhere to cinematic tradition, but Nolan seems set to deliver a modern spectacle—his version of The Odyssey is a blockbuster, after all.

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