Movie 'Odyssey' Premieres: Professor Kim Heon, Translator of 'Odyssey,' Discusses Must-Know Elements

Christopher Nolan's film 'Odyssey,' which premiered on August 5, is attracting global attention. To gain a deeper appreciation for this work, Professor Kim Heon of Seoul National University, who personally translated the original 'Odyssey,' was invited to discuss key information to know before watching the film. Park Sun-young of 'Intellectual Class,' which shares real knowledge not taught in school, emphasized that knowing the original work will allow viewers to see much more.

According to critics who previewed the film 'Odyssey,' the predominant reaction is that the movie is very difficult, regardless of its quality. This is analyzed to be because the content of the original 'Odyssey' itself is not easy. Therefore, the dominant opinion is that if one is familiar with the content of the original work beforehand, they can have a much deeper and more enjoyable viewing experience. Many viewers are expected to seek out the original work or re-explore stories related to 'Odyssey' after watching the film.

Professor Kim Heon's primary interest in the film 'Odyssey' is how faithfully it was adapted from the original. He is particularly curious about how director Christopher Nolan will realize the fantastic elements contained in Odysseus's adventure from Troy to his home. He notes how elements in the original, which unfolds as Odysseus recounts his experiences and likely contains exaggerations, will be expressed in a realistic manner in the film, and how the director's method of not using CG will visualize Odysseus's 'voice.'

The Trojan Horse strategy is a famous story where the Greek army hid inside a giant wooden horse to conquer the city of Troy. However, Professor Kim Heon points out that the key to this strategy was not just hiding the horse inside the city, but making the Trojans themselves drag the horse into the city. If the Trojans had burned or ignored the horse, the strategy would have failed. The original works, 'Iliad' and 'Odyssey,' do not clearly explain the specific reasons why the Trojans dragged the horse in, raising anticipation for how director Nolan will meticulously portray this part with imaginative detail in the film.

The core of 'Odyssey' is the story of Odysseus, a hero of the Trojan War, returning to his homeland, Ithaca. Although he was a war hero who succeeded in the Trojan Horse strategy, his journey home took unexpectedly more than 10 years. What should have been a return trip of five to ten days was prolonged by unforeseen events, leaving Odysseus to drift for 10 years without returning home.

This means he was away from home for 20 years, and during this long period, his heroic deeds were gradually forgotten, and he faced his own diminished self. With all his loyal subordinates dead and him alone, Odysseus's psychological state is complex. Professor Kim Heon explains that understanding these contradictory emotions—yearning to return home yet hesitating—is very important for appreciating this work.

This inner torment goes beyond a mere adventure story, dealing with human frailty and loss, and is an essential element for a deep understanding of Odysseus's character in the film.

Director Christopher Nolan has referred to 'Odyssey' as the origin of superhero films, claiming that all hero movies derive from Homer's work. However, Professor Kim Heon questions this view, pointing out that Odysseus is far from a superhero. While he displayed heroic qualities by leading the war to victory with the Trojan Horse strategy, having lost all his subordinates during his adventures and returning alone in a tattered state, he could be described as a 'failed leader.' This leaves room for a reinterpretation of the concept of a hero.

Odysseus is often described as being far from a typical hero. He repeatedly shows deficiencies as a hero, which may connect to Christopher Nolan's preference for telling the story behind the hero's bright facade rather than the hero himself. The host added that this characteristic can also be observed in how Nolan portrayed Batman. Therefore, the film 'Odyssey' may present a new kind of hero through Odysseus's imperfect nature and struggles.

Three goddesses—Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite—claimed ownership of the golden apple inscribed with 'To the fairest goddess,' thrown by Eris, the goddess of discord. Zeus, reluctant to judge directly, entrusted the decision to Paris, Prince of Troy. Each of the three goddesses tried to bribe Paris, offering him power, authority, and love with the most beautiful woman in the world if he chose her. Ultimately, Paris chose Aphrodite, a romantic decision for love, but one that also heralded the beginning of the Trojan War.

As promised to Paris, Aphrodite destined Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world and Queen of Sparta, for him. Paris took Helen to Troy, and the enraged King of Sparta, whose wife had been stolen, gathered armies from across Greece and sailed to Troy. This marked the outbreak of the Trojan War. Professor Kim Heon defines this war as a 'love quarrel' triggered by the golden apple thrown by the goddess of discord, attributing the tragic beginning of the Trojan War not to a simple power struggle but to emotional factors.

Drifting in a storm, Odysseus's crew arrived at a land inhabited by people who ate the lotus fruit. These people offered hospitality to strangers instead of suspicion. However, this hospitality came with an unexpected danger. The lotus fruit was so sweet that once tasted, it made one lose the desire to go home and want to settle down there.

Professor Kim Heon pointed out through this episode of the lotus fruit that hospitality is not always positive. Sometimes, an overly comfortable and secure environment can weaken people and make them lose their sense of purpose. He added that in our own lives, sweet words or situations like 'you don't have to suffer' can actually break people down and make them lose opportunities for self-improvement.

This episode shows that besides simple physical obstacles, mental temptations also existed during Odysseus's arduous journey home, symbolically representing how easily human will can waver.

When Odysseus was trapped in the cave of the one-eyed giant Polyphemus, he revealed his identity and blinded Polyphemus. He exclaimed, "The one who blinded this eye is Odysseus, son of Laertes, king of Ithaca." In response, Polyphemus pleaded with his father, Poseidon, the god of the sea, for revenge against Odysseus. This incident becomes a crucial catalyst for the curse of Poseidon, which hinders Odysseus's journey home.

Odysseus met Aeolus, the god of winds, who anticipated Poseidon's curse. Aeolus gave Odysseus a gift: a bag containing all the bad winds—storms, headwinds, and whirlwinds—except for the favorable wind needed for his journey home. This bag of winds was meant to help Odysseus return smoothly, but later, due to a misunderstanding by his crew, it was opened, causing further hardship. This episode illustrates that divine help does not always work smoothly.

Odysseus's crew arrived in what is now central Italy and met the enchanting sorceress Circe. Circe offered delicious food to her visitors, but eating it would turn people into pigs, making them her slaves for her own pleasure. Odysseus tried to subdue Circe to turn his men back, but eventually succumbed to her temptation and stayed on the island for a year. This shows Odysseus's human frailty, indicating that he was susceptible not only to physical hardships but also to the inner temptation of pleasure.

Many people believe that Odysseus's 10 years of suffering were due to the curse of Poseidon, the god of the sea. However, Professor Kim Heon points out that Poseidon tormented Odysseus for only a few days, and instead, Odysseus's own weaknesses and wrong choices were the greater cause. He specifically mentions the year spent with the sorceress Circe, emphasizing that much of Odysseus's hardship stemmed from human frailty rather than merely a divine curse. Professor Kim states that everyone sympathizes with Odysseus's hardships, but in reality, Poseidon had many grievances, advocating for a 'reassessment of Poseidon.'

The sorceress Circe offered advice to Odysseus, who had stayed on her island for a year, on how to return home safely. She instructed Odysseus to descend to the underworld of Hades to meet a powerful prophet and learn what dangers to watch out for on his journey home. This shows that Odysseus's return journey was not just a physical movement but a difficult and complex path that required a visit to the realm of the dead.

After meeting the prophet in Hades, Odysseus's crew arrived at the island of Helios, the sun god. Circe and the prophet had warned them not to harm Helios's cattle, but the crew, unable to bear their hunger, slaughtered and ate them. Enraged, the sun god went to Zeus and demanded revenge for humans eating his cattle.

Zeus granted the sun god's request and hurled a thunderbolt, wrecking Odysseus's ship and killing all his crew members. Odysseus narrowly survived and drifted towards the whirlpool monster, but even from there, he barely escaped alone. Ironically, Odysseus survived because he did not eat the sun god's beef.

This incident is one of the greatest losses Odysseus experiences among his many hardships, making him an even more solitary figure. It embodies the weight of a surviving hero and the tragedy of the deaths of those around him.

As Odysseus prepared to leave Calypso's island, Calypso expressed her displeasure and, though sending him off under Zeus's command, sought to confirm Odysseus's sincerity. She asked, "Do you really want to go? Don't you want to stay with me?" and even posed childish questions like, "Is it because you miss your wife?" to test Odysseus's resolve to return home. This was Calypso's final attempt to confirm the depth of Odysseus's longing for his homeland and wife, and whether he had sufficient motivation to resist her temptations.

Calypso tempted Odysseus by offering him eternal youth and beauty if he stayed on her island. She said, "I never age and am always young and beautiful. You'll regret leaving when you think about the hardships you'll face. You'll die if you encounter a storm," reminding Odysseus of the hardships and dangers of death he would face upon returning home. This was the final test that plunged Odysseus into deep contemplation between the temptation of an easy, eternal life and the duty to return home to his family.

In Hades, Odysseus met the deceased hero Achilles. Odysseus praised Achilles, respected as a warrior in life and ruling as king in death, but Achilles retorted, "Odysseus, don't speak grandly of death. If it were truly possible, I would rather go out and work as a day laborer." He emphasized that no matter how splendid life after death may be, it cannot compare to life itself. He conveyed the message that life itself is the most precious thing for humans, which further solidified Odysseus's resolve to return home.

Professor Kim Heon explains that Odysseus's strong desire to return home was to find a place where he could be his 'self.' In the outside world, one has to do things they don't want to do, meet people they don't want to meet, and wear a mask and act artificially due to problems that arise when speaking the truth. In such external environments, an individual's self gradually dilutes and loses its original form.

Therefore, returning home is not just a physical return, but an act of finding an inner sanctuary where one can exist as their true 'self,' free from external pressures and pretense. Returning to one's homeland is a process of recovering one's essential self and regaining a long-lost identity, and it is the ultimate goal Odysseus must find after all his hardships.