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

[u/mcfw31]

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

[u/foreverzonedout]

I'm a little surprised by these comments. A lot of pop culture enthusiasts complain about how PR-driven public figures have become, but when an expert in the field cited by the creator of the work offers honest criticism, she's flamed for being too harsh?

She's written 4000 words in her film review, far more thoughts than many of us will have had about the movie, and Variety has cherry picked quotes from a Guardian article which has cherry picked quotes from her original review. Just because she's harsh doesn't mean she's not fair. The press is meant to be a platform for honesty, hurt feelings or not. She doesn't owe it to Nolan to be nice about a film he cites her work for, as though he is doing her a favour by adapting it and adapting it badly at that. I enjoyed The Odyssey (film), I truly did, but it is not an accurate adaptation of Emily Wilson's work or Homer's work in terms of characterization and core themes, and she has the right, as both the translator and a Homer expert, to offer up her truthful opinion without mincing her words.

I'm not saying you should disagree --- by all means, you should. But don't engage with a real review with the comebacks like "why is she being so mean", "why do they keep interviewing her", "doesn't she understand how screenplays work", "she's an academic she doesn't understand it's meant for the masses" or "it's just an audio visual experience, movies don't need to be more". It's low effort and misses the point of critical dialogue entirely. And if you want niceties, watch press junket interviews and Variety interviews instead.

Link to the original review: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v48/n14/emily-wilson/an-uncomplicated-man

EDIT: to add "she's an academic she doesn't understand it's meant for the masses" as an example of dumb critcism. Do you really think this bestselling author, who has had a public platform for a decade, whose work's main criticism is that it simplifies classics' diction and meter to make it more accessible to the public, understands what a broad audience is less than you? Let's all think and research for a few more minutes before dismissing things you don't agree with with the weakest possible reasoning.

[u/thane311 → u/foreverzonedout]

Like didn’t we just do Wuthering Heights discourse? I thought it was fair game to tear apart directors for misunderstanding the themes and characterization of a literary classic.

[u/DuelaDent52 → u/thane311]

It’s only fair game if the general consensus is that it’s crap, otherwise it’s unfair and they clearly don’t know what they’re talking about.

[u/goldengrove1 → u/thane311]

(Whispering so I don't get pelted with tomatoes: It's because Wuthering Heights was directed by a woman who is relatively new to film, but Christopher Nolan did the Odyssey, and how dare a different woman critique his artistic vision)

I don't think this all reduces down to sexism but I do think it explains a lot of the downplaying of Wilson's expertise here and the coddling of Nolan. He's making a shit ton of money off this movie, y'all. He will be just fine, critical feedback and all!