American Prestige
American Prestige
Daniel Bessner & Derek Davison
Bonus - The Real Odyssey w/ Joel Christensen (Preview)
15 minutes Posted Jul 27, 2026 at 9:00 am.
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Joel Christensen, professor of classics at the CUNY Graduate Center, joins Danny and Derek for a discussion about Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey. They talk about the scholarly debate over Homer as an idea rather than an individual; the mythic Trojan War; guilt and moral responsibility in Homer's Odysseus vs. Nolan's; the roles of Penelope, Telemachus, and Agamemnon; the film's monsters, casting choices, and depictions of the gods; and how Nolan's ending departs from that of the original. 
Be sure to check out Joel’s book Why Odysseus? Survivor, Scoundrel, Anti-Hero.
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