Ludwig Göransson's score for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey uses reconstructed ancient instruments but ultimately feels forgettable and fails to enhance the film, according to composer Tom Smail, who is writing his own opera based on the same epic.
Smail, a contemporary classical composer who also writes film scores, notes that Göransson's meticulous approach involved reconstructing the ancient aulos and early lyres, using bronze gongs and striking metallic objects to create an earthy, raw, and bleak soundscape. Nolan specifically asked Göransson not to use an orchestra, seeking a recognisable but unfamiliar world.
Score lacks emotional heft
Despite these efforts, many viewers felt the music lacked emotional heft or went unnoticed. Smail agrees with the dissenting voices, finding the final soundtrack unconvincing. He attributes part of the problem to the mix, where sound design often drowns out the music. Listening to the soundtrack alone, he found the inspiration rare, with vocal writing predictably Hollywood and extensive use of large drums belonging to a familiar world Göransson was meant to avoid.
Smail, whose opera of The Odyssey premieres in Athens in 2027, based on Emily Wilson's translation, says Nolan's epic does not focus enough on Odysseus's complicated nature. This lack of emotional complication is reflected in the music, which, for all Göransson's efforts, gets lost in the fruitless sea.
Göransson's pedigree
Göransson is a three-time Oscar winner, known for his work with Ryan Coogler. While Smail believes the score serves the film, he does not think it enhances it.
