Excellent analysis. It reminds me of my favorite episode of the long defunct TV cartoon series, The Tick. The episode was about The Tick and his sidekick (Moth?) trying to save America from its enemy, the Ottoman Empire, which was made from pieces of furniture, of course. Their most powerful weapon was The Comfy Chair, from which no man could escape, once he'd sat in it and enjoyed its pleasures. Victims lost their will to strive for anything but comfort.
Yes, Nolan combined the Lotus episode with Calypso's manipulation of Odysseus. Ingenious as we were already approaching a 3-hour movie. The meaning of the lotus was not lost.
Odysseus doesn’t indulge himself in the story though. While the meaning of the Lotus is not lost (no desire to go home), it’s a disservice to Odysseus character to have him eat it.
I was thinking about this item as well! I don't think that Odysseus "indulges himself" - Calypso was feeding it to him, and it seems like he was in some sort of induced-amnesia state? I thought it was a cautionary episode loosely analogous to opioids - that sometimes we need them if they're used with medical supervision in certain situations, but very dangerous the rest of the time.....
He ravenously consumes them in the movie to ease his apparent “trauma” caused by Troy and the events afterward. The amnesia is the result of the lotus. It is, as you said, essentially opioid like.
But, having Odysseus “forget home” and numb his pain through the lotus is not a faithful representation of his character.
Hans Christian Anderson’s Snow Queen had a similar station on Gerda’s hero journey. On her search for her brother Kai, kidnapped by the Snow Queen, she gets waylaid in the garden of earthly delights. Time ceases to have all meaning and she lingers for what could be the rest of her days. She wakes from the reverie propelled by her love and the urgency of her mission. It’s easy to while away your entire life in pursuit of pleasure/numbness
Shuddering at the thought of how many life purposes have been diverted, distracted, waylaid or entirely forgotten in the process of indulgence or the imprisonment of pleasure. Thank you for picking up on this threat within all of our homes. Reminds of Huxley's vision of dystopia in Brave New World. The monsters of the psyche as suffering quickening the consciousness, but the pleasures at our fingertips as the overwhelming pleasure leading us to stagnation.
I have just seen this film, and would say that Nolan, relying on Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation (from what I understand), does not leave this message out of the lotus eaters story. The message was quite obvious to me.
Excellent analysis. It reminds me of my favorite episode of the long defunct TV cartoon series, The Tick. The episode was about The Tick and his sidekick (Moth?) trying to save America from its enemy, the Ottoman Empire, which was made from pieces of furniture, of course. Their most powerful weapon was The Comfy Chair, from which no man could escape, once he'd sat in it and enjoyed its pleasures. Victims lost their will to strive for anything but comfort.
Excellent take👍♥️
So interesting!
Yet, Nolan’s Odysseus loves the lotus and indulges himself with it constantly on Calypsos island. It’s a complete crime against his character.
Yes, Nolan combined the Lotus episode with Calypso's manipulation of Odysseus. Ingenious as we were already approaching a 3-hour movie. The meaning of the lotus was not lost.
Odysseus doesn’t indulge himself in the story though. While the meaning of the Lotus is not lost (no desire to go home), it’s a disservice to Odysseus character to have him eat it.
I was thinking about this item as well! I don't think that Odysseus "indulges himself" - Calypso was feeding it to him, and it seems like he was in some sort of induced-amnesia state? I thought it was a cautionary episode loosely analogous to opioids - that sometimes we need them if they're used with medical supervision in certain situations, but very dangerous the rest of the time.....
He ravenously consumes them in the movie to ease his apparent “trauma” caused by Troy and the events afterward. The amnesia is the result of the lotus. It is, as you said, essentially opioid like.
But, having Odysseus “forget home” and numb his pain through the lotus is not a faithful representation of his character.
Makes sense! thanks for the clarification --
Hans Christian Anderson’s Snow Queen had a similar station on Gerda’s hero journey. On her search for her brother Kai, kidnapped by the Snow Queen, she gets waylaid in the garden of earthly delights. Time ceases to have all meaning and she lingers for what could be the rest of her days. She wakes from the reverie propelled by her love and the urgency of her mission. It’s easy to while away your entire life in pursuit of pleasure/numbness
Shuddering at the thought of how many life purposes have been diverted, distracted, waylaid or entirely forgotten in the process of indulgence or the imprisonment of pleasure. Thank you for picking up on this threat within all of our homes. Reminds of Huxley's vision of dystopia in Brave New World. The monsters of the psyche as suffering quickening the consciousness, but the pleasures at our fingertips as the overwhelming pleasure leading us to stagnation.
I have just seen this film, and would say that Nolan, relying on Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation (from what I understand), does not leave this message out of the lotus eaters story. The message was quite obvious to me.
Thank you for highlighting this. The more people learn about the original the better.
I agreed that scene in the Odyssey is stranger and in the other side, exactly why?
Superb analysis. Thank you for making me stop and think.
Very well done! I just did something similar, if you’re interested 🙏
https://cindyeinfeld.substack.com/p/the-odyssey-is-not-about-getting?r=4jbx2c&utm_medium=ios
What do you think is the reason why Nolan left this story out of the movie? Is it a, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain." attempt?