Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' changed Odysseus into a hero. It was a mistake.

Matt Damon as Odysseus in "The Odyssey." Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures Matt Damon stars as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of "The Odyssey." The movie characterizes Odysseus as a noble hero, unlike Homer's complex antihero. In Nolan's version, Odysseus is basically a good guy with one big regret, which is way more boring. Warning: Spoilers ahead for "The Odyssey." "Tell me about a complicated man," begins Emily Wilson's translation of "The Odyssey." The man in question, of course, is Odysseus — and "complicated" should be the key word here. "The Odyssey" tells the story of a mythological king who spends two decades killing, pillaging, cheating, and swindling his way to survival. That's what makes his journey so treacherous, so compelling, and his homecoming so very bittersweet. Contradiction is human; it stands the test of time.