Emily Wilson, the acclaimed classicist whose 2017 translation of Homer's The Odyssey influenced Christopher Nolan's latest film, has delivered a sharply critical review of the blockbuster despite its commercial success and widespread praise from critics.
Writing in the London Review of Books, Wilson said she "would be ashamed to have written any of this script," describing the film's narrative as "gimmicky" and criticizing its lack of emotional and psychological depth.
"The writing is abysmal," she wrote. "None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words."
Wilson argued that the adaptation "lacks psychological, emotional, political, and ethical depth," though she acknowledged that Nolan's film has sparked renewed public interest in Homer's epic.
"The release of The Odyssey is still an event to celebrate," she wrote, noting that the film is drawing audiences back to cinemas and boosting sales of translations, including her own. She added that it could even encourage universities to preserve literature, language, and history departments.
"Nolan is doing his best to get the general public reading again, and I am grateful," she wrote.
However, Wilson said the 3-hour epic failed to fulfill its potential.
"I had hoped that Nolan's affinity with these Homeric themes might push him to new creative heights," she wrote. "But The Odyssey features his usual combination of grandiosity and superficiality."
She also criticized the portrayal of women in the film, saying that although the source material includes more female characters than most Nolan films, "none of them has much to say."
During the film's promotional campaign, Nolan told Empire magazine that he used the opening line of Wilson's translation—"Tell me about a complicated man"—as a guide for shaping Matt Damon's portrayal of Odysseus.
Despite Wilson's criticism, the film has received widespread acclaim from reviewers. The Telegraph called it the "film of the year," while The Times described it as "a masterpiece in every way."
Released earlier this month, The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong'o. The film follows the Greek king's perilous journey home after the Trojan War to reunite with his wife Penelope and their son Telemachus.
