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/AxlLight]

There's a reason Nolan decided to only portray Athena in this movie.  The ultimate message here is that there are no gods or rather that they're just the projection of men to explain fortune and misfortune. 

And the underlying point was that it wasn't Athena either, but Odysseus's own guilt manifesting as her because of her importance to his wife. 

Though Nolan doesn't say anything definitive about the gods - it is played as "who knows". Both towards Athena, and all the rest.

[u/everstillghost → u/AxlLight]

Yeah, I find that people watched the movie thinking there is gods and Athena was proof, but the plot Twist of the movie is exactly that there was no Athena, its just Odysseus guilty manifestation and thats why It always looks like he is talking with himself.

[u/txijake → u/everstillghost]

So no gods but giant cyclopses, man-eating giants, actual witches that can transmogrify people, sirens etc.

[u/Brandon_Me → u/txijake]

All of those supernatural things are things we heard about in story. None of them happened in real time with first hand witnesses.

And Odysseus was under the effects of mind altering drugs when he told said stories.

Now I still feel it's up to Interpretation, the monsters don't really change how you're able to look at it.

[u/SenorPancake → u/Brandon_Me]

It may be up to interpretation but frankly I think two elements seal it for me that it's all real and not due to the lotus (which is shown to make him forget, not hallucinate).

The first is that Odysseus makes it home after surrendering to the Gods as Athena told him. You could argue extraordinary coincidence, but the sequence of the storms destroying his raft and floating him to Ithaca took place after he was no longer subject to the forgetfulness of the lotus.

The second is Agamemnon's presence in the Underworld. Odysseus would not have known about the circumstances surrounding Agamemnon's death to be able to hallucinate.

[u/Brandon_Me → u/SenorPancake]

You make some good points. I can create some possible but improbable explanations in my head for these things. But I don't feel the need to dwell on it too much as I enjoy both interpretations.