How a New Movie Made an Old Greek Story Famous (But Left Some Experts Unsure)

What Happened?

A big new movie called "The Odyssey" was made by director Christopher Nolan. It is based on a very old Greek poem by Homer. The movie made over $260 million around the world in its first weekend and many critics loved it.

At the same time, a translator named Emily Wilson made a fresh, easy-to-read version of the poem in 2017. Because of the movie, her book jumped into the top 5 on Amazon. Many similar books also sold more. Nolan even said Wilson’s translation helped inspire him—especially her first line: “Tell me about a complicated man.”

The Movie Stars

The film has famous actors playing key people from the story:

• Matt Damon plays Odysseus, the warrior coming home
• Anne Hathaway plays his wife, Penelope
• Tom Holland plays their son, Telemachus
• Zendaya plays the goddess Athena

Reviewers liked the acting, the exciting story, and the huge scale (it was shot on special IMAX film).

Why Some Experts Felt Unsatisfied

Wilson is happy more people now know about "The Odyssey." But she told the AP: “I want to celebrate… but I had the sense that Christopher Nolan was trying to pack everything in while missing themes that were essential to the poem.”

Important Point: Even though the movie brought attention to the poem, some scholars feel it left out big ideas that matter in the original story.

What Scholars Noticed

Other experts agreed with Wilson. Here is what they said:

Daniel Mendelsohn (Translator & Critic)

• He praised Nolan’s “great visual panache” (fancy movie style).
• He liked Nolan’s choice to cast Lupita Nyong’o, a Black actor, as Helen of Troy to make people think about beauty and identity.
• But he felt Odysseus lost his cleverness, humor, and charm.
• Mendelsohn said Nolan turned the tricky hero into a “tormented” man like in his other movies (Oppenheimer, Memento, Batman).

Gareth Hinds (Graphic Novel Author)

• His comic-book version of the story also sold better after the movie.
• He said Odysseus went from a “wily trickster” to an “everyman” haunted by mistakes.
• He asked: How much can you change the main character before the story itself changes?

Emily Wilson’s Specific Worries

Wilson is a professor and did not want to seem like a “snobby” expert. But she questioned:

• The gods Zeus and Poseidon are missing from the movie (only Athena appears).
• The movie’s message about war and bravery felt “incoherent.”
• Penelope’s role was so small it hurt the believability of the marriage.
• The dog scene (with Argos) felt too sentimental for modern viewers. (“Everybody’s a sucker for a dog,” she said.)

Would They Still Recommend It?

• Wilson would not give the movie a grade but said: see it in a theater.
• She watched it with her kids and said: “It was fun… If you can see it on a big screen you should absolutely go.”
• A spokesperson for Nolan did not comment.

Summary

Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" movie made the old poem super popular and boosted book sales, including Emily Wilson’s translation. Critics love the film, but some translators and scholars feel it changed the hero and left out important themes from Homer’s original. They still think it’s worth watching on a big screen.

FAQ

1. Who is Emily Wilson?
She is a professor and the translator who made a famous 2017 version of "The Odyssey" that is easy to read.

2. Why are experts unhappy with the movie?
They love the attention it brings but feel Nolan removed key parts of the poem, like certain gods, and made Odysseus less funny and clever.

3. Did the movie help book sales?
Yes! Wilson’s translation hit the Amazon top 5, and other related books (like Gareth Hinds’ graphic novel) also sold more.

4. Should I watch the movie?
Wilson says yes—especially in a theater—even if it is not a perfect match to the original poem.