Emily Wilson’s ‘Odyssey’ Translation Inspired the New Movie. Her Review Is Scathing
Classicist Emily Wilson has published a scathing review of Christopher Nolan’s new film adaptation of 'The Odyssey.' Despite the film's commercial success and high audience ratings, Wilson criticized its lack of emotional depth and poor representation of female characters.
Why it matters
The critique highlights the tension between blockbuster entertainment and academic fidelity to classic literature, especially given Nolan's previous public admiration for Wilson's translation.
Classicist and translator Emily Wilson has some thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s latest blockbuster, “The Odyssey,” calling out the film’s lack of “narrative and emotional depth,” its depiction of the female characters and the misunderstanding of its themes, among many other criticisms. “The Odyssey,” which hit theaters July 17 and stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Zendaya and more famous faces, has received overwhelming praise from fans and critics alike. The epic, an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek poem, has landed at the top of the box office for the last two weeks, already bringing in over $280 million domestically and nearly $640 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The fantasy flick also debuted with a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and has a 97% audience rating as of July 27.
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