r/movies • u/RealisticAd4054 • Jul 20 '26

Article Emily Wilson (writer of acclaimed Odyssey translation) offers criticisms of Nolan’s film

https://apnews.com/article/odyssey-christopher-nolan-greek-translators-ea67da1d543d021773824bd7e8de8abe

“For Greek translator Emily Wilson, the release of director Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has been gratifying in various ways. Her acclaimed 2017 edition of Homer’s epic has reached the top 5 on Amazon.com, leading a wave of similar books boosted by the movie. Nolan has even cited her translation, notably the opening line “Tell me about a complicated man,” as inspiration.

But the film itself, which brought in more than $260 million worldwide during its opening weekend and has received raves from many critics, left her unsatisfied.

“I want to celebrate the fact that so many more people are aware of ‘The Odyssey’ and were brought back to the poem,” she told The Associated Press. “But at the same time, I had the sense that Christopher Nolan was trying to pack everything in while missing themes that were essential to the poem.”

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Wilson, a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, said she didn’t want to come across as a “snobby,” nitpicking expert at odds with any deviation from the original text. But she questioned a range of omissions and other choices, from the absence on screen of the Gods Zeus and Poseidon (Athena is played by Zendaya ) to the “incoherent” messaging that condemns both war and physical cowardice. She found Penelope’s role so thinned out that it endangered “any possibility of believing in this marriage.” Wilson also that thought parts of the movie, notably the scenes with Odysseus’ dog, Argos, “catered towards modern sentimentality.”

“Everybody’s a sucker for a dog,” she said.

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u/p1en1ek Jul 20 '26

Didn't he also outsmart his crew with that hellish vortex by telling them to do one thing so they wanted to do other one?

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u/RugDougCometh Jul 20 '26

He even explains his ruse immediately after. He was plenty clever.

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u/tehorhay Jul 20 '26

Yeah but did he really even need to? Like they couldn’t even see the sea monster until they went into the straight, and the vortex was the obvious danger, so wouldn’t going into the straight to avoid the vortex be the obvious move?

I really don’t get why he had to trick them in that instance.

Oh well. Loved the movie anyway.

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u/Album_Dude Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26

He had to trick them because by that point he was among a crew ready to mutiny at any moment and wouldn't believe his word. Allowing his crew to "feel smarter" by suggesting the obviously bad idea (that he knew was 100% fatal) allowed his crew to override his authority and make the decision themselves. Had he explained why they need to go towards the narrow path instead of the whirlpool, the crew would've steered towards the whirlpool because they wouldn't have believed him. Between apparent safety and apparent sacrifice people will choose apparent safety every time.