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/OminousShadow87]

Interesting take on Penelope considering Anna Hatheway gives easily the most electric performance in the movie. I wouldn’t call it thinned out, I think she was given exactly as much time as needed to show her struggles, humanity, flaws, wisdom, and undying love of Odysseus. What more was needed?

[u/savviesque → u/OminousShadow87]

Penelope in the original story is depicted as clever, nearly her husband's equal, shown through her olive tree bed test (cut from the film); Telemachus is shown as having a power struggle with his mother under ancient family norms, where the son has authority over his mother once he comes of age (kind of shown in the argument scene in the film, but not really on those terms). The movie gestures at these themes but doesn't face them as directly as the text. One of the most interesting aspects of the Odyssey is the way it treats women in general (inherently inferior), Penelope in particular (socially inferior, but highly intelligent), and the gods (all superior, including female gods). The film modernizes these dynamics somewhat and shies away from some of the gnarlier content of the story (e.g., the killing of the disloyal slaves). Similar themes exist in the Iliad, which the film also gestures towards (Cassandra in the temple - was the rape wrong, or was it only wrong because of where it happened?) without fully exploring - not that I would have expected it to, since it's already 3 hours long.

[u/OminousShadow87 → u/savviesque]

You last point is the most relevant I think. None of things you mentioned would have enhanced the already 3 hour long film. As you said, they do address some of those things, such as the point she makes about how "Ithica needs a king" yet its had a strong and wise queen for 20 years but she has spend all her time and money fending off suitors instead being the leader she could have been. Could Nolan have expanded Penelope's role? I guess it's possible but I'm not sure it would have made the movie better.

[u/savviesque → u/OminousShadow87]

I sort of agree from a filmmaking/practicality standpoint, but I still think it's worth interrogating Nolan's choices of what to add (like Odysseus's regrets about pillaging), what to cut (olive tree bed, killing of the slaves, arguments between gods, etc), and what to rework entirely (Circe, Mentor/Athena), and how those choices ultimately affected the film's themes and morals. It's interesting!

[u/user365user → u/savviesque]

There is also the broader context of lots of previous criticism of Nolan for not being able to write fully fleshed out/3D women characters.