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Chastity, nodding and enormous pores: will women also love Nolan’s Odyssey?
Guardian film critic Catherine Shoard questions whether women will enjoy Christopher Nolan's new adaptation of The Odyssey as much as men appear to, noting that the film has received almost universally glowing reviews, the vast majority written by male critics. She draws on her own experience as a female critic reviewing Nolan's Tenet in 2020, when she faced a barrage of sexist online abuse for a negative review, to argue that Nolan's fanbase can react fiercely to criticism, and that his post-Dark Knight films tend to resonate more strongly with male audiences.
Shoard points out that Stephanie Zacharek's lukewarm review for Time is one of the few she has found that echoes her own doubts, while most other critics have raved about the film. She argues that even enthusiastic reviewers and classicists broadly agree that the film's female characters, including Zendaya's Athena and Charlize Theron's Calypso, are given little to do beyond passive or supporting roles, raising questions about whether women's experiences are represented with the same depth as men's in Nolan's vision of Homer's epic.
In short
- Nolan's Odyssey has earned rave reviews, mostly from male critics.
- Guardian critic questions if women will enjoy it equally.
- Female characters like Athena and Calypso seen as underdeveloped.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The concern about gendered appeal has merit given that Nolan's recent films consistently centre male experiences and agency whilst relegating female characters to supporting roles. When most glowing reviews come from male critics and female critics express reservations, it raises legitimate questions about whether the film's construction serves all audiences equally. The pattern warrants critical examination of whose stories get told with depth and whose remain peripheral.
The case against
Women's tastes cannot be presumed in advance; many female audiences will find the film rewarding regardless of its focus on male characters, just as male audiences enjoy female-centred narratives. Faithfully adapting a classical text with inherent male centrality is a defensible creative choice, and the film's widespread critical acclaim across major publications suggests it transcends narrow demographic boundaries. Suggesting women will like it less presumes their judgement rather than trusting them to decide independently.
Explained simply
Christopher Nolan is a film director who has recently released a film adaptation of The Odyssey, the ancient Greek epic poem. The film has received widespread critical acclaim and largely positive reviews.
A debate has emerged about these reviews and the film's depiction of women. Guardian film critic Catherine Shoard has noted that the mostly positive reviews have been written largely by male critics, and she raises concerns about whether the film's female characters are given meaningful roles or remain largely passive.
This touches on two wider questions: the gender balance in film criticism and how women are represented in films. When critical discussion is dominated by a single demographic, some perspectives may be underrepresented in cultural conversation. Additionally, how female characters are depicted in films affects who sees themselves and their stories reflected on screen.
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