Conservative Columnist Attempts to Co-opt Nolan's 'Odyssey' for Moralizing Trump Critique
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David French claims Nolan’s 'The Odyssey' delivers a conservative message on accountability, but the film’s diverse casting and anti-imperialist undertones challenge right-wing narratives.
Conservative columnist David French, writing in The New York Times, tries to frame Christopher Nolan’s new adaptation of 'The Odyssey' as a conservative parable about moral transgressions and consequences, drawing a questionable parallel to President Donald Trump’s alleged profiteering and abuse of pardons. French’s analysis centers on Odysseus, depicted as violating ancient hospitality norms through the use of the Trojan Horse—a war crime that leads to his guilt and exile. Yet, French glosses over the film’s bold casting choices, such as Lupita Nyong’o as Helen and Elliot Page as Sinon, which have drawn ire from reactionary voices on the right who label the film 'woke.' French insists the movie’s core message upholds 'small-c' conservative values, emphasizing universal moral laws and the inevitability of punishment for those who break them. > 'Defy the gods? Deny the dignity of your neighbor? You certainly can, if you so choose. And you may prosper for a time. But the narrative arc of the movie tells us our destiny if that’s the path we choose. It turns out that there are rules for rule breakers, just as there are for everyone else, and those rules have persisted throughout human history.' French concludes the film warns that 'heedless people, you will pay for what you destroy.' Liberal commentator Thom Hartmann echoes this, noting the film exposes violations of ancient law reminiscent of recent U.S. foreign-policy aggressions. Both writers observe that the film’s inclusive casting has been derided as 'woke' by conservatives clinging to outdated norms, while director Nolan rightly dismisses the backlash as irrelevant, underscoring the film’s progressive challenge to entrenched power.