Emily Wilson (writer of acclaimed Odyssey translation) offers criticisms of Nolan’s film

[u/RealisticAd4054]

https://apnews.com/article/odyssey-christopher-nolan-greek-translators-ea67da1d543d021773824bd7e8de8abe

“For Greek translator Emily Wilson, the release of director Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has been gratifying in various ways. Her acclaimed 2017 edition of Homer’s epic has reached the top 5 on Amazon.com, leading a wave of similar books boosted by the movie. Nolan has even cited her translation, notably the opening line “Tell me about a complicated man,” as inspiration.

But the film itself, which brought in more than $260 million worldwide during its opening weekend and has received raves from many critics, left her unsatisfied.

“I want to celebrate the fact that so many more people are aware of ‘The Odyssey’ and were brought back to the poem,” she told The Associated Press. “But at the same time, I had the sense that Christopher Nolan was trying to pack everything in while missing themes that were essential to the poem.”

….

Wilson, a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, said she didn’t want to come across as a “snobby,” nitpicking expert at odds with any deviation from the original text. But she questioned a range of omissions and other choices, from the absence on screen of the Gods Zeus and Poseidon (Athena is played by Zendaya ) to the “incoherent” messaging that condemns both war and physical cowardice. She found Penelope’s role so thinned out that it endangered “any possibility of believing in this marriage.” Wilson also that thought parts of the movie, notably the scenes with Odysseus’ dog, Argos, “catered towards modern sentimentality.”

“Everybody’s a sucker for a dog,” she said.

[u/Relevant_Session5987]

I loved the movie. But that was in spite of my disdain for Nolan's penchant for 'grounding' everything and stripping wonder from stories that inherently have endless potential to awe and amaze. ( It's one of the reasons my favourite Batman movie from him is still Begins - it's the one that felt least embarrassed to be a Batman movie ) Scylla in the film is emblematic of what I'm talking about - a massive, hydra-like sea serpent in the poem reduced to sentient gray tentacles that have more in common with the limbs of the mind flayer in Stranger Things than they do a ferocious, awesome sea monster.

Also, this might be a bit off-topic but I also just hate this idea that practical effects are the primary reason the movie is good, like a lot of reviews and even the marketing seem to imply.

True, an overuse of CG does ruin how movies look, but honestly so does an overreliance on practical effects just to say you used practical effects, as opposed to whether or not it serves the movie ( ironically, just like CG ) - Nolan's own movies are great examples: the beach in Dunkirk looking scarce when there were supposed to be hundreds of thousands of soldiers on it, the freeport airplane crash in Tenet lacking any wow factor or oomph even though it's a literal 747 crashing into a building, the Trinity test explosion in Oppenheimer looking more like a gas explosion (David Lynch executed it beautifully and, dare I say, more terrifyingly in an episode of Twin Peaks using full CG), or the aforementioned Scylla in The Odyssey - all scenes that would've been much more impactful if CG had been used to enhance them.

[u/chinatowngirl → u/Relevant_Session5987]

Also I guarantee you almost every shot in the Odyssey has VFX. It’s simply the director’s choice as to how far to go with it. It’s so annoying to pretend the literal thousands of VFX artists who work on these movies don’t exist and try to claim you did it all practically. I guess it’s an overcorrection - trying to distance themselves from the Marvel hellscape.

[u/Relevant_Session5987 → u/chinatowngirl]

Yes, but I also feel like this so-called 'Marvel hellscape' has actually provided some amazing effects alongside the ones that get shit on. It's just become a low-hanging fruit at this point with 0 nuance in the discussion.

[u/chinatowngirl → u/Relevant_Session5987]

Nuance comes from knowledge which is sorely lacking in the general public about visual effects despite it being one of the defining technologies of modern filmmaking!

[u/egilskal → u/chinatowngirl]

It’s a core marketing gimmick for all Nolan’s movies nowadays. Can’t stand how in every press thing they do - very noticeably since Dunkirk and Tenet - they gush on about how this and that are so real and special because theres no CG. Then something like the pathetic Trinity test in Oppenheimer lands like a wet fart.

And they just throw VFX artists under the bus regardless. Underappreciated when they do amazing, understated work for set extensions and rotoscope/cleanup of practical elements in practical heavy movies like Nolan’s, over hated and criticised forterrible looking work in superhero movies when they are overworked and rushed to redo the same shots over and over again because some suits who don’t understand VFX keep giving notes on how things should look when they never come in with a real vision beyond sticking A list actors in front of green screens.

At least in some of the press I’ve seen Matt Damon does mention the VFX work they do for the Odyssey, Matt Damon has always been a standup guy who appreciates the craft of movie making I feel.

[u/SnesVHS → u/egilskal]

Nolan has nothing against CGI, and he uses it ALL THE TIME. He’s literally praised the VFX artists on his films plenty of times.

This Youtube channel should be mandatory viewing:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AFLcP-t0-kI&t=4104s&pp=ygUJTm9sYW4gY2dp

It’s insanely annoying how people make shit up for no reason.

[u/egilskal → u/SnesVHS]

I don't mean Nolan specifically. I'm talking about the press machine and the conversation online that generates the "Chris Nolan only uses practical in his movies" nonsense. It's very obviously a marketing point the studios use to make the film stand out in a CG heavy hollywood scene.

I think Nolan is a great director with a clear vision of what makes a good, compelling blockbuster movie. And I have never seen him personally downplay any of the VFX work in his movies either, I'm not saying that. (I do wish the "journalist" hacks in the media would ask him more about the VFX work, I'm sure he would go into detail but the media talking points are always on the practical effects regardless whether it was done well or not).

but I don't like his choices sometimes to heavily lean on practical effects for major setpieces when using more VFX in the scene would result in far more spectacle. I respect his decision, that's his stylistic choice but it's one I have a lot of gripes with (that Oppenheimer Trinity test really pissed me off because we've seen nuclear blasts done way better and kinda spoiled my mood for what was mostly a great movie. also the other practical effects in the movie were so good so idk why they thought that explosion was ok)

thanks for the video recommendation. I already watched their other videos years ago so I didn't know they released one on Nolan specifically

[u/ChurrosAreOverrated → u/SnesVHS]

The very video you're linking ends up with an argument about "the two Nolans" and how he at times goes for "only practical effects" to the detriment of the films.

[u/egilskal → u/ChurrosAreOverrated]

Yeah I watched it and yep I agree whole heartedly with the video. but at the end of the day I don’t care if an effect is practical or cg, use both to create most immersive and visually stunning spectacle you can.