A sharp review of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey by classics professor Emily Wilson has sparked an online argument, according to E! News. The film has already earned more than $683 million worldwide since its July 17 release.
Wilson, who published a widely discussed English translation of Homer’s epic in 2017, criticized the movie in a London Review of Books essay titled “An Uncomplicated Man.” She argued that the film lacked depth, gave its women little to do, and did not do enough with the story’s sexual content.
Her comments drew pushback from readers and writers, including Joyce Carol Oates, who said on X that Wilson’s tone came across as dismissive and arrogant. Wilson has since addressed the reaction, while still standing by her overall view.
Nolan’s film remains a major box office success and has also fueled renewed interest in Homer’s work. According to Circana BookScan, sales of Odyssey translations are up 76 percent year over year, with Wilson’s translation among the best-selling editions this year.
Wilson is a professor of classics at the University of Pennsylvania and was the first woman to publish an English-language translation of The Odyssey. Nolan has said Wilson’s translation helped inspire his approach to the story of Odysseus.
