‘The Odyssey’ Translator Emily Wilson Blasts Christopher Nolan’s Film, Calls Script “Abysmal”

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ has become one of the biggest movie events of the year, but not everyone is impressed with the filmmaker’s take on Homer’s legendary epic. Emily Wilson, the classicist and translator whose 2017 version of ‘The Odyssey’ was one of the inspirations behind Nolan’s adaptation, has delivered a harsh review of the film, arguing that it misses much of what made the original story powerful.

Wilson shared her thoughts in a review for the London Review of Books, which was later reported on by The Guardian. The University of Pennsylvania professor praised the ambition behind Nolan’s project but argued that the final result failed to capture the emotional and philosophical ideas at the heart of Homer’s work.

According to Wilson, Nolan’s version focuses too heavily on spectacle while leaving its characters and themes feeling empty. She criticized the movie for lacking the deeper questions about family, war, memory, and human nature that have kept Homer’s poem relevant for thousands of years.

“I had hoped that Nolan’s affinity with these Homeric themes might push him to new creative heights, and enable him to conjure more believable characters,” Wilson wrote. She then argued that the film instead delivers “his usual combination of grandiosity and superficiality.”

Wilson continued her criticism by saying that the movie struggles to explore the major ideas behind the ancient story. “Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ lacks many of the elements that make the poem great,” she wrote, adding that the film has “nothing convincing to say about time, memory, history, war, or about the relationship between one warrior’s glorious return and the lives of his family, adversaries, comrades, friends and neighbors.”

Her strongest criticism was aimed at the screenplay itself. Wilson described the writing as “abysmal” and claimed that the characters lacked believable reasons for their actions. She also took issue with the film’s approach to certain details, saying that it failed to capture some of the human elements that make Homer’s original story memorable.

The criticism is especially notable because Nolan himself has previously spoken highly of Wilson’s work. During the promotional tour for ‘The Odyssey,’ the director revealed that he used Wilson’s translation as a creative reference point while developing his own interpretation of Odysseus, played by Matt Damon.

Nolan specifically highlighted the opening line of Wilson’s translation, “Tell me about a complicated man,” explaining that it helped shape his understanding of the legendary Greek hero. However, Wilson ultimately did not feel Nolan’s version lived up to that promise, saying, “I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script.”

Despite Wilson’s reaction, the film has been embraced by many moviegoers. ‘The Odyssey’ earned an A CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences and has become one of the year’s biggest theatrical successes. The film also showed impressive staying power at the box office, earning $90 million domestically during its second weekend.

Interestingly, Wilson has also acknowledged that Nolan’s film has helped bring more attention to Homer’s original work. In a previous interview with The Sunday Times, she said that the movie’s popularity could encourage more people to explore the epic poem and support interest in classical literature.

“The release of ‘The Odyssey’ is still an event to celebrate,” Wilson said, pointing out that translations of the poem have seen increased attention since the film’s release.

While Wilson’s review has sparked debate among fans and scholars, Nolan’s adaptation continues to draw huge audiences worldwide. The disagreement highlights the challenge of adapting a story that has survived for nearly 3,000 years, with viewers and critics bringing very different expectations to the modern retelling.

‘The Odyssey’ is currently playing in theaters worldwide.

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