In today's show, we discuss the most recently released film version of Homer's Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan.

I said, 'discuss' instead of review because our aim is not to offer yet another opinion on the film from a standard, film criticism perspective, fixated on effects, budget, actors and the director as a singular genius.

Our aim is to talk about the political economy of the film and how it fits in, and is an example of the full reality of film making under capitalism and yes, imperialism.

What is capitalism? It's the system we live under that places profit above all else, including our survival on this planet. What is imperialism? It's the means through which capitalist states extract resources, people and much else besides from peoples who are unable to defend themselves against aggression.

What does this have to do with film generally and 'The Odyssey' specifically? That is what we'll discuss from various angles and perspectives.

Contrary to marketing, it's not Christopher Nolan's Odyssey but a product produced by a system.

We'll part the curtain to see this system's gears in motion. Let's call this, a materialist approach to film.

References

All but War Is Simulation: The Military-Entertainment Complex

Tim Lenoir

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236793826_All_but_War_Is_Simulation_The_Military-Entertainment_Complex

Military–entertainment complex

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military%E2%80%93entertainment_complex

Odyssey to Africa's last colony

https://africasacountry.com/2026/07/odyssey-to-africas-last-colony

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting

Robert McKee

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/48654.Story

VFX Artist Debunks The Odyssey

https://youtu.be/8yRFeout9dk?si=rIjTLmeFGgvM3lrs

Website of the production company, DNEG

https://www.dneg.com/our-work/the-odyssey

'Behind the Scenes' film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRq0cKo6ciI

The Hidden Debt That Apple Owes to the CIA

https://www.wsj.com/tech/steve-jobs-apple-next-cia-161b65f9

Language and Myth by Ernst Cassier

https://archive.org/details/languagemyth00cass

Phaedrus (dialogue)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaedrus_(dialogue)

Who Paid the Pipers of Western Marxism?

https://monthlyreview.org/9781685901349/

Ulysses (1954 film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_(1954_film)