Emily Wilson on Nolan’s The Odyssey

Emily Wilson, classicist and translator of the Iliad and the Odyssey, says that despite what she sees as the film’s many faults, the release of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey “is still an event to celebrate.”

Notice though: Wilson is referring to the release of the film, not the film itself. Her review of the film in the London Review of Books is devastating. An excerpt:

Nolan’s Odyssey lacks many of the elements that make the poem great. 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.

And Wilson cites a line of dialogue that, like “My dad is coming home,” is reason to cringe: “Let’s get off this fucking beach.” Yes, let's. And go read Homer’s poem.

Related reading
All OCA Odyssey posts (Pinboard)