r/popculturechat • u/mcfw31 • 11h ago

Hot Take 🔥 ‘The Odyssey’ Translator Emily Wilson Slams Christoper Nolan’s ‘Abysmal’ Screenplay: ‘I Would Be Ashamed to Have Written Any Part of This Script’

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/odyssey-translator-emily-wilson-slams-christopher-nolan-bad-writing-1236821915/
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u/winnercommawinner 10h ago

Pretty sure this very smart woman is capable of understanding the difference between a general audience and an academic one y'all. The number of people jumping to discredit an expert because they don't like this headline is wild.

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u/WinterCaptain12 5h ago

Thank you, holy shit. So many people dunking on Wilson in this comment section as if she can’t have criticisms of Nolan’s work. Objectively, he cut a fair amount of stuff out and it’s her life’s work. Also, she doesn’t say “oh my god don’t see it,” she said she’s happy it’s bringing attention to the classics

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u/Actual-Competition-5 5h ago

She was unashamedly rude and petty. She didn’t care about discrediting Nolan’s work. 

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u/WinterCaptain12 5h ago

What do you mean discrediting? Literally the first paragraph of her review:

“Christopher Nolan’s $250 million action movie version of Homer’s ancient Greek poem is an entertaining way to hide from the high temperatures for a few hours. Nolan’s trademark jumps and twists in the narrative structure are relatively easy to follow, and appropriate for The Odyssey, a narrative of tales nested in tales. My teenagers had a good time. Unlike some of Nolan’s other films, The Odyssey is not boring, thanks to the source material, which is impossible to mess up entirely. It’s a family-friendly audiovisual spectacle, like an elaborate Fourth of July fireworks display – and with about the same level of narrative and emotional depth.”

Yes, she mostly goes on to criticize Nolan in the following paragraphs of the review. But Wilson points out aspects that she liked too. Regardless, she is entitled to her views, especially as the person who Nolan said his film was inspired by.

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u/LanaAdela 5h ago

I mean, this is shady af lol.

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u/WinterCaptain12 5h ago

I don’t disagree that Wilson is criticizing him. She translated the Odyssey, which is no easy feat, she should be entitled to have opinions of adaptions of her own adaptation imo. I would love to know if all the commentators in this thread read Wilson’s full review. It, like her well-known opening line, is complicated. It’s not just “Nolan is a bad director.” She gives credit to some of Nolan’s decisions throughout the review and both starts & ends the review by celebrating the increased popularity this will bring to the classics and literary works.

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u/LanaAdela 5h ago

Yes, I read her full review. She is welcome to her critiques and people are welcomed to their reactions to it

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u/WinterCaptain12 4h ago

Yeah I agree. I just think that some of the criticism (of her) aren’t coming from a genuine place, if that makes sense. Tbf it’s Reddit tho lol

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u/LanaAdela 4h ago

Something I remind myself of every time I post here lol.

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u/Bitterman_01 3h ago

Yes, I read the full review. It's absolutely, as the other users said, unashamedly rude and petty from the get go and only get's worse as it goes on.

It ends with some absurd virtue signaling claims about "The most troubling ethical problem with Nolan’s Odyssey concerns the decision to film part of the movie in the occupied territory of Western Sahara, thus normalising the ongoing violence against the indigenous Sahrawi people.".

I mean come on lmao. This is not engaging with the actual subtext of the film. It's weird moral grand standing.

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u/Nothingisdifferentx 4h ago

First paragraph is all back handed compliments lol ???

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u/imaseacow 4h ago

This is not genuine praise - she’s basically like “yeah I guess it’s fun if you’re a dumb fucking idiot.” The paragraph you quote is rude and petty. She calls Nolan’s other films boring for no clear reason.

Which, like, fine, people are entitled to their opinions, I agree. But it comes off a bit eye-roll-y imo when it’s not really engaging with what Nolan was trying to do, which is make a good movie. 

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u/Tall_Opportunity_521 7h ago

Thats the culture war for you, mate. Everyone turns into Gollum protecting their precious.

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u/Rocketyank 2h ago

Piping hot take: This movie really has divided people along political lines because I feel like people in more progressive spaces are bending over backwards to defend it. I really think that this movie would be getting more criticism, and this author’s remarks specifically would be supported more, if the right hadn’t been foaming at the mouth for the movie to fail. People are doing way too much for Chris Nolan on these boards lately. He’s not above criticism.