What the Hellenic! Why is Christopher Nolanโs new Greek epic entirely devoid of Greeks?
Set to be this yearโs biggest blockbuster, The Odysseyโs cast has been selected to โrepresent the worldโ. Fair enough โ except that one key country seems to have gone completely unrepresented โฆ There are the American accents, gleaming body suits and a muddy Dunkirk palette. And then there is Lupita Nyongโo as Helen of Troy, a casting choice that recently drew racist attacks from the usual moaners of the internet, including Elon Musk, who complained it wasnโt authentic. Authenticity matters. Heโs just focusing entirely in the wrong place. To many Greeks, what concerns us most about the first look at Christopher Nolanโs adaptation of Homerโs Odyssey is the whereabouts of Billy Zane. Zane, like other beloved members of the Greek diaspora in Hollywood, has recently appeared on โAlternative Odysseyโ lists on the Greek side of social media, as well as over dinner table debates from Patras to Palmers Green. (Theo James, Jennifer Aniston, Hank Azaria, and Dave Bautista are among the other nominees.) Greek and Greek Cypriot media platforms are writing open letters. Itโs a symptom of feeling left out by Hollywood, again and with no explanation, from our foundational mythologies and epics, with a cast list that features not even a token โopoulos, โedes, or โiannou. Not a single Greek. Continue reading...