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Wilson’s blistering review
Emily Wilson, the translator whose 2017 version of Homer’s “The Odyssey” was cited by Christopher Nolan, published a scathing London Review of Books review that says, “I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script.”
“Based on facts observed and directly verified by our journalists or by informed sources”
In the same review, Wilson described Nolan’s film as “Christopher Nolan’s $250 million action-movie version of Homer’s ancient Greek poem,” calling it “an entertaining way to hide from the high temperatures for a few hours.”
Wilson argued that Nolan’s adaptation “lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth,” and she said the film’s “writing is abysmal.”
She also criticized the movie’s narrative and character work, writing that “None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words,” and adding that “There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible.”
Nolan’s cited line
Wilson’s attack is tied to Nolan’s public use of her translation’s opening line, with Fox News quoting her saying, “As they say at the awards shows, I was humbled to learn that Nolan has read at least the first line of my translation of The Odyssey into iambic pentameter.”
In that same account, Wilson said Nolan cited her version of the first line as “Tell me about a complicated man,” and she added, “But I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script.”
USA Today reported that Nolan, 55, said in an Empire interview, “I think it's the Emily Wilson translation that begins, 'Tell me about a complicated man,'” and it described the film as an action adaptation starring Matt Damon as Odysseus.
USA Today also framed Wilson’s critique around the film’s tone and scale, quoting her that “Without a tub of wax for my ears” she was “exposed to the full din of thumping sticks, staffs, swords and clashing armour.”
Box office vs. backlash
While Wilson’s review spread widely, USA Today said the film has taken Hollywood by storm since its July 17 release, “racking up $652 million at the global box office.”
““As they say at the awards shows, I was humbled to learn that Nolan has read at least the first line of my translation of The Odyssey into iambic pentameter”
Variety reported that audiences have not shared Wilson’s dissatisfaction, noting “The movie received an “A” CinemaScore during its opening weekend,” and it added that the film earned a massive “$90 million in its second weekend domestically.”
Wilson, however, also argued that Nolan’s adaptation changes the poem’s ethical emphasis, writing that “Any serious depiction of violence, ancient or modern, must show the perspectives of the victims as well as the perpetrators, and the Homeric poems easily clear the bar — but Nolan doesn’t.”
Even as she criticized the screenplay, Wilson acknowledged the cultural impact, telling The Guardian that “the release of The Odyssey is still an event to celebrate,” and saying “translations of Odyssey, including mine, are flying off the shelves.”
