what to expect: brief opinion on the movie score of the odyssey
This past weekend I went to see the highly-anticipated Christopher Nolan film, “The Odyssey.”
The Oscar-winning British Director is known for dark, intricate story telling — The Dark Knight, Interstellar, Inception, and more recently Oppenheimer, among others. His complex era-defining movies have built a reputation of spectacle. Few directors can draw an audience at the scale he does, with his name enough able to fill the seats of a theater. This track record has raised expectations of many, myself included.
Nolan took on the story of “The Odyssey,” created over 2,500 years ago. The ancient Greek poem alongside several translations helped Nolan write the script for the film. Creating a film of an ancient epic that is palatable to modern audiences is no small feat. As classics enter cinemas in the 21st century, it feels as though the general public has grown increasingly critical. One such story, Wurthering Heights, by Emily Brotë was done this year by director Emerald Fennell. The film faced wide spread criticism, with dedicated fans of the book speaking out and some going so far as protesting watching it all together. The movie had commentary of Fennell’s interpretation, which is something to expect from the beloved story. Classics that are re-created today are critiqued in nearly every scene and with every decision. Every detail is scrutinized, comments made about the casting, the dialogue (particularly the use of “dad”), or even the volume. All details, from the ones emphasized or the details omitted.
Nolan’s Score
One element that I was particularly excited for was the music. The score of a movie is specifically written to accompany a film. The music enhances the narrative and emotion of all scenes and is a critical element to a movie experience.
Many of Nolan’s previous films have been scored by Hans Zimmer. The German composer has scored 150 films, blending electronic sounds with traditional orchestral elements (Bach 2025). I regularly listen to songs from his films, with some standouts being the iconic “Cornfield Chase” from Interstellar and “Now We Are Free” in Gladiator.
Christopher Nolan’s scoring style shifted in his recent films when Swedish musician, composer, and producer Ludwig Göransson took over from long-time collaborated Hans Zimmer.
Göransson had his feature debut in Ryan Coogler’s “Fruitvale Station” (Warmann n.d.). The duo, who were college roommates, collaborated to create the “Black Panther,” which earned an Oscar for “Best Original Score.” This movie (one of my favorite movies and scores of all time), answered questions in Göransson’s words “how do you find the balance between the tradition and future and Afrofuturism and how do you do that in music? (Reid & Paul 2023).
Göransson collaborated with Senegalese musicians Baaba Maal and Massamba Diop. Göransson travelled to West Africa with Maal who was on tour in north Senegal. Göransson travelled in and around small villages listening to music for many nights (Reid & Paul 2023). The score also featured Kendrick Lamar, a celebrated artist known for his lyrical genius and cultural influence.
Like Nolan, Göransson has built a reputation, and no doubt rose to the occasion in “The Odyssey,” the third score with Nolan.
The Film Score Itself
My first impression of the score was that it was slightly underwhelming. Whether that was due to my focus on the film’s content, scenery, or characters, I was utterly wrong about the score. Music has a profound impact on movies and it did in this film. I didn’t find the music as particularly central, but I think that is the beauty in the work. The music didn’t take a dramatic center stage, but it progressed the story forward and immersed the viewer into the world that Nolan intended.
Nolan specifically requested for Göransson to not have an orchestra. Seen in the video below, he was challenged with creating a score that fit a period that is so far removed from us. Ludwig worked alongside historians to create a soundtrack that resembled life in Ancient Greece.
After doing some research and giving the score a listen outside of the theater, I was taken back to the day in the cinema. It is worth mentioning that the film itself, in my opinion, was one of the most beautiful and profound I had ever seen. The film left my friends and I quite shocked, chatting for hours after with bowls of pho. We spoke of the armor, the acting, the shots, the lack of CGI. We could go on and on about the craft that Nolan has…From the minor details to the major plot points, we could not get over it.
Listening on my commute to work, I had that same feeling. Deep sense of appreciation for the art and the emotion that came from the highs and lows of the film.
Göransson was able to create that without the instruments and sounds that he and viewers have grown accustomed to. He created music to match the grandiosity of the film using harps, strings, flutes, vocals, and various bronze gongs. The dark elements as well as the light, follow the emotions of the film.
A Few Songs Worth Mentioning
“Zeus’s Law,” the first song in the score features a bard, played by Travis Scott. He recites the epic tale of Odysseus’ journey. With the sound of his staff on the table, shots of various landscapes come across the screen. The music builds the event and anticipation, almost making the viewer nervous as to what is to come. Later,”Troy” has a fastened pace, sounding like an fastened heart beat. The song creates a sense of energy and adventure, alongside tension and anxiety. Both songs are used alongside the stories obstacles and character hardships, providing rugged and dark backgrounds as the movie progresses.
Conversely, “Chasing the Escaping Sun,” is a breath of fresh air. It is smooth and peaceful piece, but also powerful. It is inspirational, using soft high vocals and harmony alongside a dramatic drum. The final end credit song “When I’m Home,” with James Blake and Travis Scott which has beautiful vocals to wrap the movie adding to the sadness that the movie is over.
“The Odyssey,” filled me with emotion and thought. The powerful story was enhanced by the score, crafted by Ludwig Göransson. I plan to watch it again to catch further details in such a layered, intricate film and score.
Have a listen below. Read an amazing interview here.
Works Cited
Bach, J. (2025, December 2). Artist Hans Zimmer. Waldorf Music. https://waldorfmusic.com/artist-hans-zimmer/
Reid, T. C., & Paul, L. (2023, February 28). How producers and composers found a balance between tradition and Afrofuturism on ‘Black Panther’. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/this-sound-tracks-composers-and-producers-break-down-black-panther-official-soundtrack-watch-1234687958/
Warmann, A. (n.d.). Ludwig Göransson on finding inspiration in collaboration and composing Oscar-winning scores. Composer Magazine, Spitfire Audio. https://composer.spitfireaudio.com/en/articles/ludwig-goransson-on-finding-inspiration-in-collaboration-and-composing-oscar-winning-scores
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