Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey helped inspire the film. She just panned it in a new review
Translator Emily Wilson, whose work inspired Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey', has published a critical review of the film. She describes the movie as lacking emotional depth and narrative cohesion, comparing it to a fireworks display.
Why it matters
The critique highlights the disconnect between high-concept source material and its adaptation into a blockbuster film format.
It also served as an inspiration for British American director Christopher Nolan. In early publicity for his recently released The Odyssey , Nolan cited Wilson's controversial opening line — "Tell me about a complicated man" — as a reference point for main character Odysseus.
But Wilson's feelings about Nolan's take, which has so far made more than $600 million US since its release just over a week ago, appear more mixed, according to a new essay published online Monday in the London Review of Books (notably titled "An Uncomplicated Man").
"I was humbled to learn that Nolan has read at least the first line of my translation," she wrote. "But I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script."
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