Swapped

      The Christopher Nolan directed Odyssey is generating a good deal of infernalweb ferment.  No surprise there because H-wood has rarely, if ever, stayed even close to the intent or factual basis of epic historical tales, fictional or otherwise.  But, add DEI, the "feminist perspective", and race swapping to the hoary paradigm and a woke dog's breakfast is what ensues.

    Therefore one can, conceivably, be entertained by such a product, but one will not actually learn anything at all.  Of course the objective is always to make money, not teach or realistically illuminate history.  It would be extremely difficult to closely hew to the "facts" of The Odyssey since such would depend on which translation of the work is used and how much mangling thereof in the service of boffo box-office happens.  And these days how much of the making will be in service to "modern" attitudes about, well, everything.

    As for the race swapping, which is virtually required currently, the new Odyssey is no worse than many other cinematic efforts, but I haven't seen much commentary about the cold fact that race swapping never ever goes the other way.  The usual suspects would become entirely un-glued if, say, a white actor would be chosen to lead in a bio of Frederick Douglass.  Or George Washington Carver, or Rosa Parks, or Martin Luther King, or Harriet Tubman, or Langston Hughes, or Sojourner Truth, etc etc. etc.

    Those marinating in high-dudgeon about such an idiotic casting move would be entirely justified in their anger.  However, the same suspects nod their heads in pleased approval when the situation is reversed.  Currently, race is not supposed to matter when casting a part, except when it most certainly does because there will be glaciers in Hades before a non-black actor plays a black historical figure in a movie.