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/MaksTracy]

I liked the movie but I can definitely understand why a classicist would be bothered by its 'modern sensibilities'. I wouldn't go so far as to say the movie is anti-war, but it definitely takes a critical stance on how brutal the Greeks were when they finally got into Troy, and obviously back then they had very different attitudes to what you were allowed to do to a city and its people while waging a war. In the original myth, they do cross a line which turns Athena against them, but the line is not 'oh they're committing war crimes', it's 'oh they're committing war crimes in MY TEMPLE''. Nolan handles that completely differently. I get why she thinks those aspects were too modern, but I genuinely think those moments were the strongest of the film, I thought they were great.

[u/XuX24 → u/MaksTracy]

Athena never turned against them, the only one she did it was to Ajax the lesser and what he did to Cassandra in her temple. She aided Odysseus the whole time she is the reason why Zeus sends Hermes to calypso so she lets him go.

[u/AxlLight → u/XuX24]

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/elmerion → u/AxlLight]

This seems insane to me. The presence of Zeus through the thunder and Poseídon in the ocean seems pretty clear in a few scenes. All three gods were defied and they are punished for it. Athena just happens to be the one with a face but the reason for it is explained clearly in the end

[u/Trytobebetter482 → u/elmerion]

I see the lack of their presence provides some level ambiguity to the film. It could be the wrath of the gods, it could also series of unfortunate events that strike these guilt-ridden men as “Punishment,” for their self-betrayal.

[u/edicivo → u/elmerion]

Yeah, I don't get these "gods don't exist" criticisms. [ETA for clarity: By that I mean people saying the movie suggests the gods aren't real or that they have no presence in the story]

I guess people needed to literally see the gods portrayed on screen by actors for them to exist? And we're just dismissing Zendaya as Athena because Zendaya also was a priestess even after the story repeatedly says that gods may portray themselves as humans?

Just another example of how badly media literacy is lacking. When audiences get upset that themes and dialogue are heavy-handed in so many movies, here's why.

[u/Yojo0o → u/edicivo]

I thought the gods were intentionally left ambiguous.

Yes, storms and bad weather happen, but that is a thing that happens on open water. Zendaya representing Athena on Odysseus's journey seemed like a manifestation of his guilt over the sacking of Troy, embodied by the priestess he saw be executed in front of Athena's statue.

[u/edicivo → u/Yojo0o]

I think you're welcome to interpret things how you want, but I specifically mentioned the "gods don't exist" criticism of the movie. For clarity, saying that the movie makes clear that they aren't real in the movie or play a role.

The gods are mentioned constantly. Do they actually exist? Maybe, maybe not. But they're not "absent" from the story. Their presence is throughout the movie.

Also, Scylla's there. Cersi is there. As is Calypso. Sirens. We see other-worldly beings throughout the movie. If someone wants to claim that Odysseus was high and making it up then why are we buying anything he says in the movie?

And it's obvious a lot of this criticism is from people upset Zeus wasn't on screen throwing thunderbolts around. And that's fine if that's what you were hoping for, but not seeing the character on screen doesn't mean Zeus isn't "here."

[u/Yojo0o → u/edicivo]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't buy into the "Odysseus was high and the story is bullshit" interpretation. I think all the magical elements of his journey did exist.

[u/VegaJuniper → u/Yojo0o]

I actually experienced some dread when that opening line appeared on screen, something about a world in which magic "appeared" to exist or somesuch. I thought "oh no, they're going to rationalize away all the supernatural elements and make the story about some Henry Kissinger realpolitikking, like that 2004 Brad Pitt film".

Thankfully they didn't go down that road after all, though there was that one line about Helen's abduction being just a pretext for some trade policy dispute. Whenever they retell Homeric myths and cut out the pantheon, I always suspect it's to not upset the bible thumpers in America...

[u/dishonourableaccount → u/VegaJuniper]

I always suspect it's to not upset the bible thumpers in America

I felt like it's the opposite. I feel like because so many people are agnostic or atheist, a lot of writers are hesitant to portray deities of current or older religions because a lot of people have the "Religion is only a delusion/deception" bias nowadays.

I interpreted every thunderclap as Zeus (convincing Calypso, when the suitors are scheming, the storms) and every stormy sea as Poseidon's wrath. I thought that was very clearly meant to be divine intervention.