Nolan’s Odyssey shows what happens when a leader’s violations are rewarded | Jamil Smith

The Greeks learn at Troy that breaking the rules works, then carry the lesson home. Nolan's film shows how an exception becomes a habit of power

• This article contains spoilers for The Odyssey

I had not read The Odyssey since I was a student. Stories change when we return to them later in life, or perhaps we are the ones who change. Christopher Nolan's film made me want to find out what I had missed.

More specifically, it made me want to read Emily Wilson's translation. Her scathing essay about the film nearly stopped me from buying her translation. I bought the book anyway.