Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” Breathes New Life into an Ancient Tale for High School Teachers
Teaching ancient literature to modern students can often be a daunting task. Yet, high school English teachers are finding a new ally in Christopher Nolan’s latest film adaptation of “The Odyssey,” which brings a fresh cinematic approach to Homer’s classic epic.
For Casey Crowhurst, an English teacher at Monticello High School in Illinois, engaging students with “The Odyssey” has always been a challenge. “The Odyssey was always one we kind of struggled with,” Crowhurst shared, noting the difficulty in capturing the attention of students with a text written over two millennia ago. He explains, “You tell them, ‘Hey, this was written 2,000 plus years ago.’ And right away, they’re gonna be like, ‘well, why do I have to learn this?'”
To help bridge the gap, Crowhurst and many of his colleagues have turned to various adaptations to make the epic more accessible and relatable. Clips from the 1997 Hallmark miniseries and other works often serve as visual aids in classrooms. Despite the students’ amusement at the dated special effects, these clips have been a staple in engaging them with the material.
Following the release of Nolan’s new film adaptation, Crowhurst expressed his gratitude on TikTok, thanking the director for revitalizing the ancient text. “I just saw the Odyssey and I want to say on behalf of all English teachers: Thank you, Christopher Nolan. Thank you.”
The film has not only captured the interest of students but also teachers who are eager to incorporate this new version into their curriculum. Erin Hall, another English teacher from Charlottesville, Virginia, expressed her excitement about adding the film to her teaching toolkit. “I love including any kind of outside media in my classroom,” she said. “It gets kids excited to learn.”
For educators like Sarah Noll at South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia, visual adaptations of “The Odyssey” play a crucial role in helping multilingual students learn English. “They create a kind of dictionary of the important vocabulary,” Noll explains, referring to terms such as ship, sea, king, and suitor.
To hear more about how Crowhurst, Hall, Noll, and other educators plan to leverage Nolan’s film in their classrooms, you can listen to their insights via the audio link provided above.
Edited by: Nirvi Shah
Visual design and development by: LA Johnson
Comments are closed.