Thompson: Was The Odyssey always so central to our conceptualization of Western literature and storytelling, or is its fame a somewhat modern development? The Iliad and The Odyssey have only been translated into modern vernacular languages very, very recently in the big picture. Modern culture, including modern TV and modern cinema, has a great many ambiguous bad-guy heroes. Thompson: There are at least two ways I think Nolan’s Odyssey respected the Odyssey I read in your translation. He can use bronze, but then look what he’s going to do when he gets back home.