Why the Hate? Thoughts on Nolan's Odyssey

Abstract

At the time of writing this article, Nolan’s Odyssey has grossed 1.475 billion US dollars worldwide. Judging by the amount of press coverage and the level of popular interest, the Odyssey is now a global phenomenon. I organized a viewing for my whole department in a local cinema and a lecture on the film by the prominent writer, critic, and Odyssey translator, Daniel Mendelsohn. My department will be participating in the “Odyssey Day” inaugurated by Felson and Mendelsohn. Our enrolments for Intro Greek have jumped from 12 (last year) to 20. This movie is the best thing that has happened to Classics in decades. The critical reception has been almost unanimously favourable. Sales of various translations of Homer’s Odyssey are booming, especially Emily Wilson’s, which is currently the second bestselling book in the US. So why do prominent Classicists hate the film so much? Wilson in particular authored a review so scathing, news outlets across the world reported on it. She rightly points out that Nolan’s film is an adaptation and lists famous instances of radical transformations of Homer’s Odyssey, but then proceeds to point out all the ways in which Nolan’s 3-hour movie departs from the 12,110 line epic poem. I wish I had come up with the comment “now she knows how we feel about her translation”, but at least I can quote it here. Those who read Homer in the original know that Wilson’s translation simplifies and truncates, omitting roughly one-third of Homer’s text.