Classicist Emily Wilson made waves with her 2017 translation of The Odyssey, which subject matter experts praised for its accuracy and others applauded for its “radical plainspokenness.” With The Odyssey continuing to dominate the box office, many have understandably wondered what Wilson thinks of the director’s interpretation.
She’s now posted her own review of the movie and, well, it’s brutal.
📚 Quick Overview: Emily Wilson, the acclaimed translator of The Odyssey, published a 4,000-word takedown of Christopher Nolan’s film in the London Review of Books. Her verdict? “It lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth. There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible.”
Wilson’s Review — A Brutal Takedown
It was published in the London Review of Books, is over 4,000 words long, and is titled “An Uncomplicated Man.” It’s a play on the introduction of Homer’s poem, which in some translations describes Odysseus as an “ingenious hero,” and in others as a man of “twists and turns.” For her own translation, Wilson went with “complicated.”
Among her critiques of Nolan’s movie is that he did not bestow the character with the same level of depth.
“My eyes stayed dry, even for Argos the dog — whose adorableness as a puppy is predictably amped up to suit our animal-loving times. If only the human characters had been treated with such serious attention.”
— Emily Wilson
It only gets meaner from there.
The Moral Contradictions of Nolan’s Odyssey
Wilson’s review points out a series of confused contradictions and unconvincing double-standards at the heart of Nolan’s film. Here’s the breakdown:
| Action / Situation | When It’s Bad | When It’s Good |
|---|---|---|
| Slaughtering people with trickery, technology, and weapons | Greeks killing Trojans | Odysseus killing suitors |
| Taking something seemingly abandoned | Trojans laying claim to the horse | Suitors laying claim to Odysseus’ palace, food, wine, and wife |
| How to treat strangers | Strangers in foreign lands are monstrous — to be blinded, robbed, and slaughtered | Strangers in Ithaca are to be treated with gracious kindness — as possible gods in disguise |
| Defying the gods | Eurylochus eating the Cattle of the Sun | Odysseus blinding Polyphemus, son of Poseidon |
| Deception | Odysseus tricks Sinon / Suitors trick Telemachus | Telemachus and Odysseus trick the suitors |
| Fighting and killing for wealth | Agamemnon accumulating wealth | Odysseus preserving the wealth he already has |
Wilson’s Verdict
“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.”
— Emily Wilson
I think even people who loved it will be forced to agree with that last line.
My Take: A Beautiful Mess
I saw The Odyssey over the weekend in digital IMAX (the film projector for our showing broke), and while it ended up being one of my least favorite Nolan movies, I don’t agree with all of Wilson’s criticisms. The mood during certain sequences is beautiful, and some of the scenes shot on location with practical effects are astonishing — especially compared to the post-production slop we are now often fed.
But when it comes to the overarching themes and character motivations driving the plot, I have to agree with Wilson’s takedown. Nolan’s version of The Odyssey is as sad-dad as it gets, often leading to confused contradictions and unconvincing double-standards. Wilson’s review makes that point at length.
🎬 Final Word: Emily Wilson’s review is a masterclass in literary criticism — sharp, fair, and devastating. Whether you loved or hated Nolan’s Odyssey, her analysis of its moral contradictions is hard to argue with. And yes, the food does look horrible.
