India isn’t seeing The Odyssey the way Christopher Nolan intended — and that’s a shame | Today’s news
Christopher Nolan has spent nearly two decades asking audiences to trust film. Not streaming, not phones, not compressed digital life – but theaters. With The Odyssey, he made perhaps his strongest argument yet. The tragedy is that despite his enthusiasm, Indian audiences cannot watch as he intended.
That thought stayed with me long after the headlines rolled.
Odyssey proves why India needs IMAX 70mm screens
Nolan reimagines Homer’s epic as a man haunted more by memories than monsters. That emotional weight is what stayed with me the most. Matt Damon’s Odysseus is less of a mythical warrior than a broken king trying to find his way back home after years of war. Nolan ditches the romanticism of mythology and instead fills the screen with sadness, regret, and the scars left by violence.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
Indian audiences cannot experience The Odyssey in the intended IMAX 70mm format as there are currently no commercial theaters in India equipped to screen this specific film format.
Odyssey is unique because it is the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, specifically designed for IMAX 5-perf/70mm, allowing for the highest image and sound quality that regular IMAX theaters cannot replicate.
IMAX 70mm captures much more image detail and features a colossal aspect ratio that makes the film’s vast landscapes integral to the storytelling and heightens the emotional weight of Odysseus’ journey.
Nolan believes that format is as essential as the screenplay, and in Odyssey the 70mm IMAX format serves to enhance the film’s narrative, providing a richer immersive experience that aligns with the emotional core of the story.
Yes, viewers should prefer to watch Odyssey in IMAX 70mm if possible, as it was specifically created for this format, which fully captures its artistic intent and ambitious visual narrative.
It is ironic that a film so obsessed with immersion cannot be experienced in its full form in one of the world’s largest film markets.
Read also | The Odyssey makes history: Nolan’s new film sold out a year before its release
The Odyssey was the first feature film to be shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, a technological milestone that Nolan had been working towards for years. It’s not just another blockbuster released in IMAX. The film was conceived, photographed and finished for IMAX 5-perf/70mm – the highest quality commercial film format available.
That resolution really matters.
When people hear IMAX, many assume that all IMAX screens offer the same experience.
IMAX theaters in India are digital IMAX venues. They offer larger screens, improved sound and brighter projection that conventional cinemas do not offer. However, they cannot project 15/70mm film prints. India currently has no commercial cinema equipped to screen Odyssey in its native IMAX 70mm format.
For most films, this distinction is academic. But for Nolan, it’s essential.
Nolan has always treated the format like a story. If his screenplay is important, then the format in which he shoots his film is also important. The towering cityscapes of The Dark Knight Trilogy, the sprawling beaches of Dunkirk, and the atomic fireball of Oppenheimer—these moments were designed with the extraordinary clarity and scale of IMAX in mind.
Odyssey? It takes the idea even further.
While watching the film, I realized how Nolan lets his landscapes breathe. Coasts and volcanic formations, endless oceans and daunting cliffs are not just backdrops; they become pivotal figures. The camera only stays on long enough for the insulation to settle. Every wave and horizon reinforces the emotional distance between Odysseus and the home he is desperately trying to reach.
Digital IMAX still delivers an impressive presentation of the magnum opus. However, IMAX 70mm captures much greater image detail and a colossal aspect ratio, allowing viewers to see a significantly larger portion of the image. It transforms the scenery into something almost tactile, making the massive scale part of the narrative.
This loss is almost palpable in The Odyssey, as it is another of Nolan’s visually spectacular films. Emotions are carried by faces against a vast landscape. The mythology feels grounded because the physical world around these characters is overwhelmingly real.
That’s why audiences across the United States, Europe and Australia have traveled hundreds – and in some cases thousands – of miles to secure tickets to IMAX 70mm. Some screenings were sold out months in advance, while others scheduled nightly performances to meet demand. For many viewers, the format has become part of the action.
However, Indian fans never got that option.
This is particularly unfortunate as India has become one of Nolan’s strongest international markets. Oppenheimer has done exceptionally well here, while Interstellar, Inception and The Dark Knight Rises continue to attract devoted audiences years after their release. If any country outside of North America has consistently shown an appetite for Nolan’s brand of large-format filmmaking, it’s India. Yet we still don’t get to experience what may be its greatest technical achievement.
Read also | Quote of the Day: Christopher Nolan on why movies need to “move” audiences
None of this detracts from the film. NOT AT ALL. Even in digital IMAX, The Odyssey remains an extraordinary cinematic achievement. His emotional ambition, practical filmmaking and stunning performances survive every format. But surviving is not the same as thriving.
Cinematography has always been about preserving artistic intent. We discuss director’s cuts, color grading, aspect ratio, and sound mixing as they shape the way stories are experienced. IMAX 70mm is not a marketing gimmick associated with The Odyssey; it’s part of the language Nolan chose to tell this story.
Therefore, I can’t help but feel that Indian audiences have lost out on more than just premium screening. We missed the version of The Odyssey that was actually created by Christopher Nolan.
