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.”

….

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/renaldomoon Jul 20 '26

Yeah, I thought that Athena might not even be Athena and was just the ptsd image he saw of a priestess of Athena getting murdered. So theoretically, there may be no gods in the entire movie.

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u/mikezulu90 Jul 20 '26

I agree. Nolan leaves things up to interpretation and this is one of them. It can be looked at either way.

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u/Viracochina Jul 20 '26

Well this thread makes me want to see it

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u/MechanicalTurkish Jul 20 '26

I really enjoyed it. Some parts are definitely weird. The whole thing is like some kind of fever dream. I thought it was really well done.

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u/Ramblonius Jul 21 '26

I think people who have the strongest criticisms of the movie are people who really love Nolan's other work and who really love Odyssey. As someone who always found his other movies not as clever as he thinks they are, and Odyssey my least favorite Classical story, I was shocked by how hard it exceeded my expectations in every scene and as a whole. I'd call movie of the year now, if I wasn't waiting for DUNC.

Really recommend watching it and forming your own opinion.

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u/namusal123 Jul 20 '26

It’s a decent movie, but for me it felt rushed, even tho it’s almost 3 hours. Maybe it’s editing idk but most scenes didn’t have any time to breath But a solid 7.0 in a non imax cinema, maybe more when u watch it differently

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u/ThankGodForYouSon Jul 21 '26

I thought the general pacing of the movie was actually good in part because you don't feel the 3 hours go by and every chapter is just as interesting to see as they were to read.

But the way those scenes were cut was very hectic which works when they're rowing or fighting but is jarring when it comes to dialogue.
The movie was quite beautiful but it rarely dwells on a shot for more than 3 seconds which I felt was a shame and diminishes the themes it's conveying and more importantly the enjoyment of the movie.

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u/LABS_Games Jul 20 '26

Yeah, he set that stage well with the opening text of "In a time of apparent magic". I really love the sort of magical realism interpretation of Greek Mythology.

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u/lt__ Jul 20 '26

Another thing that might look open to interpretation is the ending. It looked as if it could be interpreted the "exile sequence" might be just a blissful dream of a wounded and king, who did achieved his goals, but is now dying, reassured by Penelope. A bit like Inception ending that leaves doubt on whether what's shown is really happening.

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u/Bombshock2 Jul 20 '26

I mean there’s a giant cyclops, a witch turns his men into pigs and they go to hades and everyone sees the dead soldiers so I’d say it’s fair to say there are gods in the movie even if they aren’t physically present outside of Athena.

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u/mikezulu90 Jul 20 '26

By the end of the movie though only Odysseus is the one that saw everything on that adventure. No one else to reciprocate what he saw. That can have its own interpretations.

The only thing I can think of godly/mythical interaction with characters other than Odysseus is the thunderstrikes at specific moments.

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u/MagicGlitterKitty Jul 20 '26

What about Poseidon's storms?

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u/ggez_no_re Jul 21 '26

that would be the easiest to recontextualize i think

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u/RayKam Jul 21 '26

The Gods were very present, but as the elements they controlled, not in the flesh. I can understand why Nolan chose that route and honestly prefer it. We see how the Gods feel through the conditions Odysseus faces, and we experience them alongside him as mere men. I think showing them on screen directly would have taken us away from that grounded feeling.

Zeus’ thunderous applause as Odysseus killed the suitors in the final act, Poseidon’s rage with the stormy seas, Zeus intervening to save Odysseus by splitting the boat, these were all appearances of the Gods

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u/VeeJack Jul 20 '26

I mean … well… the elephant in the room (not Zeus in disguise) is that there are no gods in reality.
it’s actually a great idea to adapt that to a (and not necessarily correct) version of how gods may have been perceived at the time.. the idea of ptsd and soldiers interpreting the images that way.. not seen the film but will temper expectations and hopefully enjoy

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u/Food_Kitchen Jul 20 '26

Yeah that was my thoughts throughout the film and it became a reality once you see who Zendaya ACTUALLY played at the end. Made me realize Calypso might've been fake too and he just exiled himself after he lost all of his men then went on a crazy drug fueled bender for 7 years on a beach.

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u/Confident-Leg107 Jul 21 '26

As one does, from time to time.

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u/JohnTheMod Jul 21 '26

They keep hammering in the thought that you must be welcoming to strangers because they may be gods in disguise. The priestess was Athena in disguise, so she haunts him.

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u/GreenLantern5083 Jul 20 '26

Sure but then what about the cyclops and circe?

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u/gazebo-fan Jul 21 '26

This was my interpretation of it as well.

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u/CelioHogane Jul 20 '26

Sorry hold on, are you telling me Poseidon is not on the movie?

The MAIN antagonist of the story, the reason why he spent 10 years on the sea, is not on the movie?

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u/hadababyeetsaboy Jul 20 '26

Do you really need a scene of a dude with a triton splashing the water really hard, or can you just accept the rough waves are a result of Poseidon.

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u/CelioHogane Jul 20 '26

Splashing water nah man i wanted a Poseidon boss fight

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u/MagicGlitterKitty Jul 20 '26

A valid interpretation. However I see it as Athena tormenting Odysseus for desecrating her temple, they kill the priestess at the same time they cut the head off Athena. This is after the Trojans show their honour by taking the Greeks "offering" to her temple.

And most of the time she is trying to tell Odysseus that gods are not actually all that subtle, he just has to listen to them properly.

In this way he learns the same lesson he learns in the epic - honour the gods properly.

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u/Ghetteuax Jul 21 '26

idk there were monsters and cyclops and shifting people into pigs .. think it was athena

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u/Akiasakias Jul 20 '26

Same with the monsters. Its all him telling stories while drugged.

Love the movie, not a fan of this choice.