Lupita Nyong’o has sparked controversy after publicly criticising the ancient Greek poet Homer during promotional interviews for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, in which she portrays Helen of Troy.
When asked by one interviewer what she would say to Homer if given the chance, the Oscar-winning actress responded with a pointed challenge rather than praise.
“I would be like, ‘So, Homer, how do you feel about the screen time given to these women considering how little you spent with them?'” Ms Nyong’o said.
The interviewer then asked whether she would lean forward confrontationally, to which she replied: “Yes. Like, ‘Hmm? Remember us?'”
Lupita Nyongo’o attends The Odyssey premiere
|
GETTY
The remarks have drawn criticism from some quarters, who view them as showing contempt for the 2,800-year-old source material.
The casting of Ms Nyong’o as Helen of Troy had already generated significant debate before her promotional comments.
The Kenyan-Mexican actress was selected to portray a figure Homer described as “white-armed,” prompting criticism who felt Mr Nolan was veering away from the source material.
X owner Elon Musk was one of the biggest names expressing his dismay at the casting decision, using the social media platform to criticise Mr Nolan.
Lupita Nyongo’o plays Helen of Troy in The Odyssey
|
UNIVERSAL
Mr Nyong’o herself defended the approach in Elle magazine, stating: “This is a mythological story. Our cast is representative of the world.”
Other casting decisions have also attracted scrutiny. Trans actor Elliot Page was cast as Sinon, a soldier and cousin of Odysseus, while Indian actor Himesh Patel will portray Eurylochus, a key member of Odysseus’s crew.
Rapper Travis Scott was given the role of a Homeric bard, a choice Mr Nolan defended as acknowledging the oral poetry tradition, which he described as “analogous to rap.”
Critics have also taken issue with the use of American accents and modern colloquialisms in the trailer.
Christopher Nolan is behind the new Odyssey film
|
GETTYDespite the controversy surrounding casting choices, the film itself has received overwhelmingly positive reactions following its world premiere at Leicester Square on Monday evening.
Critics attending the gala screening rushed to social media with praise, describing Mr Nolan’s 13th feature as “flawless filmmaking” and a “crowning cinematic achievement.”
Fandango called the adaptation “an absolute triumph,” while film journalist Simon Thompson declared it “every inch as epic as you’d expect.”
The LA Times described the experience as “staggering,” adding that it represented “pure cinema” and “a return home to the robustly entertaining action movies that cinema was invented to tell.”
Lupita Nyongo’o (third from left) alongside The Odyssey cast members at the London premiere
|
GETTY
Variety labelled it an “astonishing achievement” and “triumphant, spectacular epic,” with Time Out urging audiences to “believe the hype(rbole).”
Matt Damon’s portrayal of Odysseus drew particular acclaim, with Indiewire predicting the performance could secure him the Best Actor Oscar, while describing the film as “the BP to beat” at next year’s awards.
However, it was Robert Pattinson’s turn as the villainous Antinous that many critics singled out as the standout performance.