Joyce Carol Oates Responds to ‘The Odyssey’ Translator’s Viral Critique

Joyce Carol Oates has entered the ongoing discussion regarding Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ after translator Emily Wilson posted a scathing review of the film.

Oates, the acclaimed author known for works like ‘Blonde’ and ‘We Were the Mulvaneys’, defended Nolan’s adaptation in a series of posts on X on Wednesday. She expressed concern over Wilson’s approach, describing her review as excessively dismissive.

Oates stated that Wilson’s “tone of dismissal & haughty superiority strike a sour note.” She emphasized that differing opinions on Homer and various adaptations should not lead to personal attacks on those involved in the creative process.

The author further remarked that Wilson’s language seemed reminiscent of political rhetoric rather than a serious literary critique.

“Rather than disagreeing with interpretations of Homer in a collegial manner, this person, who has benefited enormously from Nolan’s film, speaks in the crude language of MAGA folks attacking someone with ideas that differ from hers,” Oates wrote.

Oates noted that as a translator who engages deeply with Homer’s original text, Wilson should exercise greater caution when critiquing others’ interpretations.

“One would expect a translator, of all people, beholden to a text, in service to a text, to be just a wee bit more thoughtful & respectful of others who are acting in good faith just as (she would claim) she is,” Oates continued.

Her comments were in response to another user on X who appreciated Wilson as a classicist and enjoyed her translation of ‘The Odyssey’, but believed her review of Nolan’s film was unjust.

While Oates criticized Wilson’s review, she also made it clear that she enjoyed Nolan’s film. She stated she would recommend both ‘The Odyssey’ and the 1997 television miniseries produced by Francis Ford Coppola.

Oates highlighted that the two adaptations take markedly different approaches to Homer’s hero. Nolan’s film features Matt Damon as Odysseus, while the miniseries stars Armand Assante in the same role.

She argued that filmmakers should feel free to reinterpret or reimagine classic stories.

“No reason why Nolan, or anyone else, should not re-imagine/re-envision a classical hero through the prism of his own invention,” Oates asserted.

Wilson’s original review, published by the London Review of Books, was notably critical. The esteemed translator contended that Nolan’s film overlooks many of the themes that render Homer’s poem significant.

Wilson remarked that “Nolan’s Odyssey lacks many of the elements that make the poem great.” She took issue with the film’s portrayal of war, memory, history, family, and morality, as well as its writing, characters, story structure, and even its food.

Additionally, Wilson raised a significant political concern regarding the production, criticizing Nolan for filming part of the movie in Western Sahara, claiming that the location choice disregards the ongoing conflict involving the Indigenous Sahrawi people.

Despite her critiques, Wilson acknowledged a significant positive outcome of the film, noting that its release has sparked renewed interest in Homer’s works, including her own translations of ‘The Odyssey’ and ‘The Iliad’.

This debate unfolds as Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ continues to excel at the box office, having already grossed over $727 million worldwide within just 12 days.

With the film still commanding attention and performing strongly in theaters, the clash between Oates and Wilson adds another dimension to the ongoing conversation surrounding Nolan’s contemporary interpretation of one of literature’s most renowned tales.

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