Emily Wilson, the classics professor whose 2017 translation of Homer’s “Odyssey” was cited by Christopher Nolan during publicity for his film adaptation, publishes a sharply critical assessment of the movie. Writing for the London Review of Books, Wilson says the film has “nothing convincing to say” and that it lacks psychological, emotional, political, and ethical depth. She argues Nolan’s approach combines grandiosity with superficiality, leaving the film’s vision “too confused” and its characters underdeveloped relative to what she says it signals it will deliver. Wilson also describes the screenplay as ineffective, and a separate outlet reports her view that the script is “abysmal,” including criticism that it does not include the kinds of sexual material present in the source poem. While Wilson acknowledges technical spectacle—such as big action and large-scale elements—she maintains that the movie does not successfully translate the poem’s qualities into believable character work or developed ideas. Her critique is presented as a direct counterpoint to Nolan’s earlier public references to her translation as an influence.
Emily Wilson, translator cited by Nolan, criticizes his Odyssey film
Emily Wilson, the classics professor whose 2017 translation of Homer’s “Odyssey” was cited by Christopher Nolan during publicity for his film adaptation, publishes a sharply critical assessment of the...
- Emily Wilson is a classicist whose 2017 translation of Homer’s “Odyssey” was cited by Christopher Nolan during early publicity for his film.
- Wilson writes a negative review for the London Review of Books, published through reporting by multiple outlets.
- She says the film lacks psychological, emotional, political, and ethical depth and describes its characters as underdeveloped.
- Wilson characterizes the film’s approach as combining grandiosity with superficiality, and says it is “too confused.”
- Some reporting describes her criticism of the screenplay as “abysmal,” including objections related to content (reported as lack of sex scenes).
The new blockbuster "lacks many of the elements that make the poem great," writes Emily Wilson, the classics professor who famously translated Homer's poem in 2017
2 hours agoAcclaimed 'Odyssey' translator Emily Wilson opens fire on Nolan's hit epic — from an "abysmal" script to lack of sex scenes.
4 hours agoChristopher Nolan cited Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation of “The Odyssey” as an influence on his own interpretation of Homer’s epic poem while on the press tour for his latest blockbuster. Wilson is not returning the favor. In a negative review of Nolan’s “The Odyssey” for the London Review of Books (via The Guardian), Wilson criticized […]
4 hours agoWilson, whose work on Homer’s epic was praised by Nolan, said his film was grandiose and superficial with ‘nothing convincing to say’ Emily Wilson, the classicist whose 2017 translation of Homer’s Odyssey was cited by Christopher Nolan in early publicity for his hugely successful adaptation of the poem, has roundly criticised the film, saying “it has nothing convincing to say” and that its “lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth”.In a scathing essay for the London Review of Books, Wilson writes: “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. But The Odyssey features his usual combination of grandiosity and superficiality … the film’s vision is too confused, its characters too underdeveloped, to deliver what it half-promises in terms of big ideas – although it is very good at conveying big bangs and big giants.” Continue reading...
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