Christopher Nolan repeatedly praised Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation of The Odyssey while promoting his blockbuster adaptation, even revealing that the opening line of her translation helped shape his interpretation of Odysseus.
Now Wilson has responded. And her verdict couldn’t be more devastating.
Writing for the London Review of Books, the University of Pennsylvania classics professor delivered one of the harshest critiques of Nolan’s film yet, arguing that the director stripped Homer’s epic of the very qualities that made it endure for nearly three thousand years. Rather than celebrating the adaptation, Wilson concluded by saying she “would be ashamed to have written any part of this script.”
Christopher Nolan Publicly Credited Emily Wilson’s Translation
During the promotional tour for The Odyssey, Nolan repeatedly spoke about Wilson’s translation.
Speaking to Empire, Nolan explained that the opening line—”Tell me about a complicated man”—became a guiding principle for how he approached Matt Damon’s version of Odysseus.
READ: New ‘God of War’ Game Starring Kratos Announced After Fan Backlash Over ‘God of War: Laufey’
It was one of the clearest acknowledgements that Wilson’s work helped influence the creative direction of the film.
That context makes Wilson’s review particularly striking.
Rather than applauding Nolan’s interpretation, she argues the filmmaker fundamentally misunderstood what makes Homer’s epic timeless.
Emily Wilson Says Nolan Misses the Entire Point of Homer
Wilson begins by explaining that she expected Nolan’s fascination with Homer might produce something extraordinary.
Mia Goth as Melantho and Anne Hathaway as Penelope in the trailer for The Odyssey – YouTube @UniversalPictures
Instead, she writes: “I had hoped that Nolan’s affinity with these Homeric themes might push him to new creative heights, and enable him to conjure more believable characters. But The Odyssey features his usual combination of grandiosity and superficiality … the film’s vision is too confused, its characters too underdeveloped, to deliver what it half-promises in terms of big ideas — although it is very good at conveying big bangs and big giants.”
She argues the spectacle overwhelms the substance.
“The Writing Is Abysmal”
Wilson then delivers what may become the most quoted section of her review.
She writes: “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 neighbors.”
She continues: “It lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth.”
Travis Scott in The Odyssey – YouTube, Universal Pictures
Then comes perhaps the harshest criticism of all: “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.”
Considering Nolan openly cited Wilson’s translation as an inspiration, the criticism lands with considerably more weight than a typical negative review.
“I Would Be Ashamed”
Wilson ultimately concludes with perhaps the single most brutal sentence written about Nolan’s adaptation.
She writes: “I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script.”
Jon Bernthal as King Menelaus in the teaser for The Odyssey – Universal Pictures
It’s difficult to imagine a more complete rejection from the scholar whose translation Nolan publicly celebrated while making the film.
Wilson Still Finds One Silver Lining
Despite dismantling the movie itself, Wilson acknowledges one positive outcome.
She noted that Nolan’s blockbuster has sparked renewed interest in Homer, saying: “The release of The Odyssey is still an event to celebrate.”
The Cyclops in the trailer for The Odyssey – YouTube @UniversalPictures
She added that the film is helping bring audiences back to theaters while sending readers to Homer’s original work and modern translations, including her own.
A Divisive Success
Hollywood critics have been sharply divided over Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, but Emily Wilson’s review carries unusual significance because she isn’t simply reviewing another blockbuster. She is one of the foremost living translators of the very work Nolan chose to adapt, and by his own admission, her translation helped shape his creative vision.
That makes her conclusion especially difficult to dismiss.
But Despite Wilson’s blistering assessment, audiences are telling a very different story.
Matt Damon as Odysseus in the trailer for The Odyssey – YouTube @UniversalPictures
The Odyssey has become one of the biggest box office successes of Christopher Nolan’s career. After opening to $124.5 million domestically and $264 million worldwide, the film followed that up with a sensational $90 million second weekend in North America—a remarkably small drop for a blockbuster of its size. After just two weekends in theaters, the film has earned roughly $286 million domestically and around $640–652 million worldwide, putting it firmly on track to become one of the year’s biggest hits.
That commercial success doesn’t invalidate Emily Wilson’s criticisms. Nor do Wilson’s criticisms erase the enthusiasm moviegoers have shown for Nolan’s adaptation. Instead, they illustrate one of the most fascinating divides surrounding The Odyssey: the scholar whose acclaimed translation helped inspire Nolan’s vision believes the film fundamentally misunderstands Homer’s masterpiece, while millions of moviegoers have embraced it as one of the biggest theatrical events of the year. Whether history ultimately sides with Wilson’s literary critique or the audience’s overwhelming enthusiasm remains a debate that is likely to continue long after the box office run has ended.
How do you feel about Emily Wilson and her review of The Odyssey? Sound off and let us know!
UP NEXT: Sony Reportedly Has Strict Social Media Guidelines Around Physical Media Backlash
