Actor Matt Damon has revealed that he had absolutely no idea how the famous Trojan horse scene would be filmed during production of “The Odyssey” — that is until it actually came to filming it.
Academy Award winner Damon, 55, plays the main character Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, in Christopher Nolan’s epic fantasy action movie. It is an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem the “Odyssey.”
For those unfamiliar with the Trojan horse, it’s a tale from Greek mythology about a giant hollow wooden horse. The Greeks built it and offered as a gift to secretly infiltrate the impenetrable city of Troy. Odysseus devised the plan and it enabled the Greeks to end the Trojan War by sneaking their warriors inside the city walls within it.
These days, the term “Trojan horse” can refer to a person, strategy, object, or digital file that appears harmless or even desirable on the outside, but actually conceals a hidden threat, deception, or ulterior motive intended to cause harm or damage from within.
Damon told People about how he found out the manner in which the scene would be shot.
Matt Damon Says He Had to ‘Figure It Out’ When It Came to the Trojan Horse Scene
GettyIn his chat with People, Matt Damon said that, not only was he unaware of how the Trojan horse scene would be filmed until very late, but director Christopher Nolan had no idea either.
Damon said, “What was funny about the Trojan horse was before we shot it, we were filming the fall of Troy, and then the following week we were starting in on the horse. I think it was a Friday and we were shooting the horse on Tuesday and I said, ‘Chris, how are you going to do the horse?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, I don’t know.'”
Ultimately, Damon says Nolan just allowed the scene to unfold organically. Essentially, the cast had to “figure it out” themselves.
The actor explained, “The way we were going to shoot the horse was we were all going to get in the horse and figure it out. Hoyte [van Hoytema] is one of the best cinematographers to ever live, and he was going to get in there with us and Chris was going to get in there with us and we had this incredible group of guys [in] the cast.”
He added, “We were together as a crew for the entire film and we just jammed in there and figured it out,” and concluded that the scene’s successful outcome came from “all the momentum and the energy you get from just making it real, just not planning it out too much.”
The haphazard nature of the filming of such a key scene doesn’t seem to have harmed the film’s critical reception.
‘The Odyssey’ Is Getting Rave Reviews
GettyAlthough “The Odyssey” doesn’t hit theaters until tomorrow (Friday, July 17), reviews from critics are starting to come in. Suffice it to say, it sounds like Nolan has another huge hit on his hands.
The movie currently boasts a hugely impressive Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 96%.
Rolling Stone’s David Fear calls it “one of the most dynamic movies in recent memory.” Screen Rex’s Kyle Pinion insists “The Best Picture race is already over.”
Per IMDb, “The Odyssey’s” plot is as follows: “After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Calypso along the way.”
As well as Matt Damon, the movie has a fabulous supporting cast. It includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Travis Scott, Elliot Page, James Remar, and Mia Goth.
Get your tickets now and make sure you go and see it.
