‘Nothing convincing to say’: Translator behind Nolan's 'The Odyssey' inspiration slams film as shallow
According to Wilson, the adaptation had "nothing convincing to say" about time, memory, history or war.
Emily Wilson, whose translation of Homer's "The Odyssey" helped shape Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster, has strongly criticised the film, saying it lacks depth and describing its script as abysmal.
Writing in the "London Review of Books", Wilson said she had expected Nolan's interest in Homer to produce a more compelling interpretation of the ancient poem, reports The Guardian.
Instead, she described the film as a familiar mix of grandiosity and superficiality.
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She said the film lacks many of the qualities that made Homer's "The Odyssey" an enduring masterpiece.
According to Wilson, the adaptation had "nothing convincing to say" about time, memory, history or war.
She also said it fails to explore the connection between Odysseus's return and the lives of his family, friends, comrades, neighbours and former enemies.
The British-American translator criticised the film's storytelling and character development, saying the narrative relies on gimmicks, while the characters lack clear motivations.
She described the writing as abysmal and argued that the film offers little psychological, emotional, political or ethical depth.
She also remarked that the film contains "no sex scenes and that all the food looks horrible".
Wilson referred to Nolan's praise for the opening line of her translation, "Tell me about a complicated man." She then delivered one of her strongest criticisms, writing, "I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script."
Wilson, who serves as chair of the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, repeated her criticism in an interview with The Sunday Times, saying the film fails to engage her emotionally because, unlike Homer, "it's not very well written."
She also questioned the emotional depth of the characters. "Do I really care if this guy gets back to his wife? You haven't given me any reason to."
Despite her criticism, Wilson welcomed the film's wider impact, describing the release of "The Odyssey" as an event to celebrate.
She said the film has drawn audiences back to cinemas and boosted sales of translations of the epic, including her own.
She also expressed hope that its popularity might encourage university administrators to continue supporting literature, language and history departments.
"Nolan is doing his best to get the general public reading again, and I am grateful," Wilson said.
