Wait, does Odysseus die? Explaining The Odyssey’s ending after *that* final scene

*Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Odyssey*

There are countless readings of Homer’s 3,000-year-old epic, and Christopher Nolan adds even more into the mix with the ending of The Odyssey. Odysseus rides off into the sunset… or does he?

Prior to this, Odysseus (Matt Damon) spends a whopping 10 years travelling back home to Ithaca (after the 10-year Trojan War). Rather than revealing himself straight away, he dresses as a beggar and secretly assesses what’s become of his kingdom after a warning from Agamemnon’s (Benny Safdie) spirit.

It doesn’t take long to discover that Penelope (Anne Hathaway) is being pressured by dozens of suitors hoping to marry her, while their son Telemachus (Tom Holland) is caught up in their schemes. Odysseus reunites with his son in secret before plotting to reclaim his home.

Penelope announces that she’ll only marry the man capable of stringing Odysseus’s legendary bow and firing an arrow through a row of axes. As expected, the disguised king is the only person able to complete the challenge and he finally reveals his identity.

A brutal battle follows as Odysseus and Telemachus fight the suitors for control of Ithaca. Although they emerge victorious, Odysseus suffers some serious wounds during the confrontation, leaving Penelope believing for a moment that she’s lost him for good.

Instead, Odysseus survives and names Telemachus the new king before setting sail with Penelope out west to honour a promise he made to his fallen comrades. But is this all just an illusion?

Does Odysseus die in The Odyssey?

Technically, no. Although Penelope holds Odysseus after he collapses from his wounds, he promises, “Not death. Exile.” He’s next seen on their ship with bandages covering his injuries, with the pair sailing out west and “chasing the escaping sun.”

But Nolan deliberately leaves enough room for interpretation, and some have questioned whether Odysseus really survives his final journey.

In Greek mythology, the west is often associated with the land of the dead or the afterlife, as it connects to the setting sun.

Combined with the severity of Odysseus’ injuries, and the jumping scenes between him laying in Penelope’s arms and her walking towards the boat with their son, you could argue that the voyage might be symbolic. 

There’s also the fact that Odysseus has finally completed everything he set out to do. He has reclaimed Ithaca, reunited with his family, passed the throne to Telemachus and honoured the promise he made to the dead. 

Even so, Nolan never explicitly confirms that Odysseus dies. Instead, the ending is left deliberately ambiguous, allowing audiences to decide whether they’re watching a real departure or a more metaphorical farewell.

This theory was raised by actor Berkan Dincer, who highlighted Nolan’s philosophy that the discussion he has with those watching the movie is part of the experience. “Giving an open-ended ending forces you as the audience member to participate,” he said.

In the context of The Odyssey, Dincer continued, “The movie makes you think that Odysseus and Penelope sail off chasing the never-ending sun to achieve exile for the men he lost at the Trojan War and the journey home.

 

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“While they’re showcasing that sequence of him and Penelope sailing away, they’re also showing Penelope and Odysseus right after Odysseus just went ham on everybody. Arrows sticking out all over him. He definitely does not look like he’s going to survive, yet somehow he does.”

But, he asked, does Nolan want us to think he’s sailing away in exile? Or, is this something that’s happening in Odysseus’s head as he dies in Penelope’s arms?

“I think showing those moments simultaneously intervening with each other makes us question what’s real and what’s not,” Dincer added. “Regardless, it does mean that the ending of The Odyssey is different.”

How is the ending different from Homer’s epic?

In Homer’s original poem, Odysseus doesn’t leave Ithaca after reclaiming his throne. Instead, he reunites with his elderly father, Laertes, before Athena steps in to stop another conflict from breaking out between Odysseus and the families of the slain suitors.

The poem ends with Odysseus restored as king of Ithaca alongside Penelope, bringing his long journey to a close. 

Nolan, however, has Odysseus hand the kingdom over to Telemachus before sailing west with Penelope, replacing Homer’s ending with one that’s open to interpretation.

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Featured images credit: Universal Pictures