Emily Wilson, the classics professor whose 2017 translation of the Odyssey Christopher Nolan cited as an early influence...

Emily Wilson, the classics professor whose 2017 translation of the Odyssey Christopher Nolan cited as an early influence on his film, has published a devastating takedown of the adaptation, calling it a work with "nothing convincing to say" that lacks "psychological, emotional, political, and moral depth." In a lengthy essay published in the London Review of Books, Wilson wrote that Nolan delivers his "usual combination of grandeur and superficiality." She said the film's vision is too confused and its characters too underdeveloped to deliver on the big ideas it promises, though she conceded it handles explosions and giant monsters well enough. Wilson, who chairs the Classical Studies department at the University of Pennsylvania, went further in a Sunday Times interview, saying the film failed to move her emotionally. She questioned whether audiences are ever given a reason to care whether Odysseus makes it home at all, saying the characters lack the depth of Homer's originals entirely. The screenplay itself drew particular fire. Wilson called it "unacceptable," said no character has convincing motivations, and noted the absence of any love scenes, adding that all the food looks terrible. Still, Wilson stopped short of a full condemnation of the film's existence. She acknowledged that Odyssey translations, including her own, have been selling fast since the release, and said the film may help persuade university administrators not to cut literature and language departments. She credited Nolan for getting mass audiences to pick up books again, calling that contribution something she is genuinely grateful for. The film has been performing strongly at the box office since its release, with Wilson's own translation among the works seeing renewed interest as a direct result. #Nolan #Odyssey #AncientGreek