In the film 'Odyssey,' Matt Damon plays the role of a king who is also one of the best generals during the Trojan War. However, the eras of 'Odyssey' and the Vikings are separated by approximately 2000 years, which raises the question of how a Viking longship ended up in the main role of this blockbuster.
Director Christopher Nolan is known for his commitment to realizing spectacle using authentic props and scenes. A team of Norwegian shipbuilders and sailors participated in the creation of the film, building a vessel that combines elements of history and Hollywood. This ship, named Draken Harald Harfagre, is the largest modern replica of a Viking ship.
Despite the need to abandon Scandinavian roots for Greek mythology, the anachronism fit into Nolan's realistic approach. For filming, Draken had to have its dragon figurehead on the bow removed, characteristic of 8th–11th century Vikings, because it sailed in Greek, Italian, and Scottish waters.
Nolan told American television last month: 'We found a Viking ship that was built exactly according to these ancient specifications. And it was the shape and rigging we needed for the Bronze Age ship.' He also noted that the crew members were integrated into the film crew: 'We took a crew, and we put them all in our costumes. They became part of the film crew. And the people of Odyssey, the actors, joined them, and they figured out how to raise the sail, how to rig it, how to row, all those things.'
For several months, the crew of experienced sailors spent time with Hollywood star Matt Damon, playing Odysseus on screen, as well as with many professional actors.
Practical Realization
Sailor Trammell Hudson recounted that once an actor sitting in front of him fell ill with seasickness and vomited over the side, which landed on him. He suggested this would become a major scene for him, as the IMAX camera was focused on him and him in the background dodging debris, but this scene did not appear in the film.
Nolan's film is based on Homer's epic and traces the journey of the hero Odysseus on a dangerous voyage home to Ithaca after the Trojan War in 12th century BCE. Instead of creating the ship using computer graphics, Nolan insisted on using a real vessel capable of sailing in the open sea with live people aboard.
Emanuel Persson, director of the Draken expedition, stated: 'Most of the scenes would be completely different if we weren't here, doing it for real with a real ship, a real crew in a real ocean and in real weather.' He added that viewers can feel the authentic materials: 'I don't know if you can smell the resin, but you understand that it is truly handmade, not a digital creation.'
All Hands On Deck
Everyone on board performed their role. The captain of the longship, Bjorn Allander, recalled that Matt Damon was a very pleasant and good person, never complaining. He also noted that all the actors stayed on board for a long time; it was cold and sometimes rough, but no one complained.
With such a mixed crew, it wasn't always easy to row perfectly in sync. Trammell Hudson emphasized the importance of coordinating sixty oarsmen, as the oars are quite long and can get tangled. He recalled being thrown 'a meter and a half into the air' along with his rowing partner when the blade of the oar hit a wave.
The pleasant memories of the shoot sharply contrast with events that occurred in neighboring Sweden. Owners of another Viking ship used in the film experienced a test of patience, like Penelope waiting for Odysseus: after the ship sustained damage during filming, they had to wait a year to receive compensation.