Everyone loves The Odyssey. Or so we thought.
Emily Wilson, one of the most prominent modern-day translators of Homer's epic poem, has slammed Christopher Nolan's movie in a new essay.
In a 4,000-word piece published in the latest edition of the London Review of Books, Wilson tore into Nolan's adaptation for a myriad reasons, including what she deemed a poor script, mischaracterization of Odysseus, and lacking anything convincing to say about The Odyssey's prevailing themes.
"In at least one interview, [Nolan] cited my version of the first line of the poem: ‘Tell me about a complicated man.’ But I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script," Wilson wrote.
In another scathing passage, Wilson fires a volley of acid-tongued arrows towards The Odyssey's message.
"Nolan’s Odyssey lacks many of the elements that make the poem great," Wilson stated. "It 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 neighbours."
"It lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth. Its narrative structure is gimmicky. The writing is abysmal. None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words. There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible."
Fair point about the food – Circle's platter still turns the stomach. Other complaints, though, could be seen as Nolan's interpretation of the text amid its translation to the big screen. Audiences and critics alike have certainly praised its handling of the trauma of the Trojan War and its emotional journey.
It's not all bad, though. Wilson does have some praise for Robert Pattinson's performance as Antinous, declaring "he also deserves one of the Oscars that will shower down on this movie like the golden rain of Zeus." The classicist also commends Nolan for "doing his best to get the general public reading again." So, there's that.
Well, we liked it. Discover our verdict with The Odyssey review and see where it ranks on our list of best Christopher Nolan movies.
