Emily Wilson, the academic whose 2017 translation of Homer’s epic served as a reference point for Sir Christopher Nolan’s new film, The Odyssey, has issued a sharp rebuke of the production. Writing in the London Review of Books, Wilson characterized the script as amateurish and described the narrative structure as gimmicky.
While the film, which features Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland, has enjoyed strong box office performance and positive critical reception, Wilson found it lacking in emotional and ethical substance. She remarked that she would feel ashamed to be associated with such writing, noting that the characters lacked clear motivation. She further likened the experience to a pyrotechnic display, noting its visual scale but sparse narrative depth.
Despite her harsh assessment of the film’s quality, Wilson expressed appreciation for the cultural impact of the project. She noted that the release has spurred renewed interest in Homeric literature and potentially encouraged academic administrators to preserve humanities departments. She acknowledged the director’s effort to engage the public with classic literature and admitted that her own teenagers enjoyed the spectacle as a family-friendly event.
The Odyssey marks Sir Christopher Nolan’s return to theaters following the success of his Oscar-winning film, Oppenheimer. While publications like The Telegraph and The Times have lauded the movie as a masterpiece, Wilson remains unconvinced, arguing that the film’s grandiosity often masks a superficial approach to the source material.
