This One Detail Ruined Christopher Nolan's Odyssey
I just saw Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey, and I have many thoughts.
Nolan may have gotten one of the most important aspects of Odysseus completely wrong—and it’s all because he read Emily Wilson’s terrible translation.
My full written review of Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey is coming soon, but in the meantime, I thought you might enjoy watching my YouTube review before you head out to see the film this weekend.
Today, I get into why Nolan’s film is good but not stellar and why you should never read the Emily Wilson “translation” of the Odyssey.
Thanks so much for watching and be on the lookout for my essay on Nolan’s Odyssey soon!
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Sorry Liza, usually I very much enjoy your content on Pens & Poison. But I must mostly disagree with your review. You are 100% right that Nolan using Emily Wilson’s awful translation hurt the film. But I can’t agree it is a good movie. Christopher Nolan made so many mistakes with casting, dialogue, how he promoted the film, and how he took criticism of his decisions that the film was dead on arrival I’m sorry to say.
I am so glad I lucked into Fagles the first time I read it. Everything about that edition, from the deckled-edge paper to the glossary, not to mention the feels-good-to-say-it-out-loud poetry, is terrific.