Highlights
- Emily Wilson argues Christopher Nolan's adaptation misses the qualities that made Homer's epic endure
- The translator criticises the screenplay, character development and the film's central themes
- Despite her review, she says the blockbuster has renewed public interest in The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has become one of the biggest films of the year, but one of the scholars whose work influenced the adaptation has delivered a scathing critique. Emily Wilson, whose acclaimed 2017 English translation of Homer's epic was cited by Nolan during the film's promotional campaign, argues that the blockbuster fails to capture the essence of the original poem.
Writing in the London Review of Books, Wilson outlines several reasons why she believes the adaptation falls short.
1. It loses the emotional heart of Homer's story
Wilson argues that Homer's Odyssey is about far more than monsters and heroic battles. She says the poem explores memory, family, grief, longing and the lasting impact of war, but believes these emotional themes receive too little attention in Nolan's adaptation.
According to Wilson, the film never reaches the psychological or emotional depth that defines the original work.
2. Spectacle takes precedence over substance
While acknowledging the film's visual ambition, Wilson says Nolan relies too heavily on scale and spectacle.
She argues that giant creatures, large action sequences and visual effects dominate the film, while the deeper ideas at the centre of Homer's poem are left underdeveloped.
3. The characters lack convincing motivations
Wilson believes the film's characters are not given believable reasons for their decisions.
She argues that audiences are told what characters are doing rather than understanding why they make those choices, making it harder to connect with their journeys.
4. The screenplay fails the story
Among Wilson's strongest criticisms is the writing itself.
She describes the screenplay as "abysmal" and concludes that she "would be ashamed to have written any part of this script". She also says the dialogue and narrative fail to do justice to Homer's enduring work.
5. The film has little to say about Homer's biggest ideas
Wilson argues that The Odyssey should provoke reflection on time, history, war, memory and the consequences of a warrior returning home.
She says Nolan's adaptation touches on these themes but ultimately offers little meaningful insight into any of them.
6. Its structure feels gimmicky
Known for complex storytelling, Nolan once again experiments with narrative structure.
Wilson, however, argues that the film's structure feels more like a stylistic device than a meaningful way of telling the story, adding that it does not enhance Homer's narrative.
7. She still believes the film's success is worth celebrating
Despite her criticism, Wilson says the film's release has had one positive outcome: it has encouraged more people to engage with Homer's epic.
She noted that The Odyssey has brought audiences back to cinemas and boosted sales of translations of the poem, including her own. Wilson also hopes the renewed interest will encourage universities to continue supporting literature, language and history programmes.
Wilson's review stands in sharp contrast to the film's commercial success. The Odyssey has received an A CinemaScore from audiences and continues to perform strongly at the box office, even as one of its most prominent literary influences argues that it misses what made Homer's epic timeless.
