"I Would Be Ashamed"

Key Points:

• Emily Wilson, renowned translator of The Odyssey, critiques Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation for its simplification of characters and lack of narrative and emotional depth, despite acknowledging its entertainment value and faithful narrative structure.
• Wilson argues that Nolan's Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, is portrayed as anxious and guilt-ridden rather than the cunning and complex hero of Homer’s epic, and criticizes the film's failure to humanize the Trojan victims or depict the brutal realities of war.
• She notes problematic changes in the film’s values that conflict with those of the original poem, such as the negative portrayal of deception and extramarital affairs, and laments the underdeveloped roles of female characters like Penelope and Calypso.
• Wilson praises Robert Pattinson’s performance as Antinous but criticizes the film’s race-neutral casting as lacking genuine progressiveness, with many non-white actors relegated to minor, supportive roles.
• The scholar also condemns the decision to film in Western Sahara, highlighting ethical concerns about normalizing violence against the Sahrawi people, while still appreciating Nolan’s effort to encourage public interest in Homer’s work.