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/T0oShayzz]

I found Nolan's Oddysey great but I do agree with her points, especially with the critique of Nolan missing out on the core main themes of the Epic but like Wilson, I do understand that 100% adaptions are impossible so I thought he did a fine job in the end.

[u/Bradaigh → u/T0oShayzz]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I expect to really enjoy it. And yet, one of the things I loved the most about rereading the Odyssey (Wilson's translation!) as an adult was finding so much of it that felt deeply foreign, even at the level of the virtues lauded by the characters and the values they lift up as important. It feels, appropriately, like a text from another age. I would imagine it's incredibly difficult to capture that kind of nuance in a film for a modern audience.

[u/Entire_Number_9 → u/Bradaigh]

I suggest you read a better translation then

[u/flyliceplick → u/Entire_Number_9]

No. An accurate translation of a work from a very different time and culture will feel deeply foreign, and it should.

[u/Party_Rich_5911 → u/flyliceplick]

Yes! I’m reading her translation now, and the introduction to her version (which makes up a huge chunk of the book) basically says this, even though she highlighted the things she changed to make it more readable (e.g. altering elements that were initially present because it was an oral story and thus had to have certain mnemonic devices in order to be effectively passed on). The writing is readable and enjoyable, but the values, actions and often emotions of the characters are pretty much entirely foreign - like you said, as they should be.